The huntress and the wolf (Bigby Wolf x oc)
by zoe.desmedt
Summary: I'm Lexy Singer. I'm Bobby Singer's adopted daughter. He found me on the streets when I was just 4 years old. He made me a hunter and I became one of the hunters from Team Free Will. I begged them to go hunt alone and now I'm ready to kick some asses!
1. The Huntress

Hi

I'm Lexy Singer. I'm Bobby Singer's adopted daughter. He found me on the streets when I was just 4 years old. He made me a hunter and I became one of the hunters from Team Free Will. I begged them to go hunt alone and now I'm ready to kick some asses!

Team Free Will:

Sam Winchester - The ex-blood junkie  
Dean Winchester - The drop-out with six bucks to his name  
Castiel - Mr. Comatose / The little nerd with wings  
Lexi Singer - The ex-homeless girl


	2. Faith Part 1

_Back in black_

_I hit the sack_

_It's been too long I'm glad to be back_

_Yes I'm, let loose_

_From the noose_

_That's kept me hanging around_

_I keep looking at the sky_

_'Cause it's gettin' me high_

_Forget the hearse 'cause I'll never die_

_I got nine lives_

_Cat's eyes_

_Usin' every one of them and running wild_

_'Cause I'm back_

I smiled as I drove into town. I had lived here for a while but went away to go hunting. You see I'm a hunter. I hunt things like ghosts, angry spirits, vampires, demons and a lot more of the supernatural. Basically everything that's not human and bothers the humans. No, I'm not some kind of supernatural. Just a human who was trained to be a killing machine.

As I stopped at the woodlands I was going to stay, I parked my 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham and got out. It was already around midnight and I was quiet tired. I popped open the trunk and got out my bag. I checked if the secret compartment, which a friend of mine made in my car, couldn't be seen. I closed the trunk and began to walk to the apartment. When I was inside I looked around at the yellow interior. When I looked to my right I found a guy asleep behind the desk. I walked up to the counter and I watched the guy for a moment.

"Hey, you awake?" I said. He snored a little and I shook his legs that were up on the counter.

"Man, wake up!" The man snored again before waking up.

"What do you want?" I lifted an eyebrow at him before answering.

"Can I get a room? One queen please." I said a little friendlier than the guy was.

"Yeah sure. Your name, please?"

"Emma Tiernan." I said. Of course that isn't my real name. My real name was Lexy Singer. I was an orphan and roamed the streets until a guy called Bobby Singer found me. He took me in, made me his daughter, trained me and helped me on hunts. The guy was a real father to me.

"Alright, here's your key." He gave it to me and almost immediately fell back to sleep. I stood still for a second. Didn't I have to pay him? I pursed my lips and put some money on the desk with a note saying that I paid. If it wasn't enough he could always come tell me.

"Thanks." I said with a roll of my eye and went to the elevator. The doors opened and I went in.

"Hold it!" I jumped at the deep voice and held the doors of the elevator open. The person that called out walked in. suddenly another guy passed by and saw us.

"Hey! Bigby, wait up!" The doors were about to close but he held it. "Have you seen my wife? Have you seen beauty?" I raised an eyebrow a little at the name. Who in their right minds call their daughter Beauty? "So have you?" I glanced at the man beside me. The man beside me crossed his arms over his chest as the elevator doors closed.

"Mother fucker." I held a laugh as the guy had to watch the door close.

"Nice." I said as I looked at the man beside me who was now smirking pleased with pissing the other guy off.

"Thanks." The guy said as he looked at me. My forest green eyes connected with hazel eyes that made me stiffen. He was tall (Compared to me, everyone is tall) and seemed to be all muscle. He had auburn hair that was brushed back. His hazel eyes watched me curiously.

"You new here?" His gruff voice said.

"Yeah, you can say that." I chuckled. We stopped and the doors opened.

"Well, this is my stop. See ya around." He said as he looked over his shoulder at me with a shadow of a smile.

"See ya." I nodded and gave him my trademark smirk. Just before the doors closed again I noticed his knuckles were red. Probably from a recent fight. I shook it off and went up to my apartment. When I got to my room I opened it and stepped inside. Closing the door with my foot I looked around the room.

"I guess I'll be working here." I said. I went to the bedroom and put my bag down on the bed. I opened the closet and started putting my clothes from my bag into the closet. When my clothes were out my bag, the only thing that remained were a few guns, rock salt cartridges, silver bullets, holy water, my angel blade, Archangel Blade and my laptop. I held the archangel blade in my hands and sat down on the bed.

Believe it or not but an archangel was my best friend. He was killed but before he died he gave me his personal blade. I was devastated when he died in my arms. The guy had saved my ass more times than I can count. I sighed and put the blade in the inside pocket of my black leather jacket.

I went to the living room and found it to be a little muff in the room. I went to the window and cracked it open a little. I frowned when I saw something on the steps of the apartment.

"What?" I didn't know if I saw it right but it looked like a head. A woman walked up and saw the head. She looked around and went inside. She came back out and covered it with something I couldn't see. I took my sawed off shotgun and put in the belt of my pants and put my shirt over it. I went to my duffle bag and pulled out an FBI ID card. I went out my room and went towards the stairs. When I got to the lobby I stepped back when I saw 2 people outside. I hid myself next to the exit doors and glanced at the people.

One of them was the guy that was in the elevator with me. The other one seemed to be a woman. Her black hair was in a dot.

"So…who found her?" The guy asked.

"I did." So she was the woman I saw from the window. "She was just like this. I didn't touch her. I grabbed Grimble's jacket to cover her with…then…I came to get you right away." I looked at the still sleeping guy. He must be Grimble.

"No one else was with you?" the guy asked. I was considering going over there but it could come over really suspiciously.

"No…Bigby, did one of us…do this?" I frowned when the woman said this. I tested the words she said silently. One of us? What are they? They look human but if you're a hunter you never know if humans are really humans or are just some satanic bastards.

"Here goes nothing." Yeah, act before thinking. I pushed open the doors taking the attention of the two. The guy, Bigby I guess. Grabbed the jacket and pulled it over the head.

"Oh please, don't worry." I stopped walking when I was next to the woman. "I've seen worse." And done a lot worse.

"Ma'am you should really go inside." The guy said. I smiled and took my fake ID and flipped it open. He looked at it and seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with the FBI sign on it.

"I don't think so. I think you should go." He looked at me a little annoyed while the woman watched me curiously.

"Hi, you must be new." She said. I glanced at her and smiled.

"Yup."

"You don't look like an FBI agent." The man said suspiciously.

"I'm undercover." I answered him. "I'm Agent Emma Tiernan." I looked down at the jacket before looking up at the guy. "With your reaction to her I would think you're an agent as well?" I said.

"Sheriff Bigby Wolf." I raised an eyebrow at him but smiled anyway.

"Well, sheriff, I'll take it over from here."

"I don't think so." He said with a glare. I was a little surprised at the rudeness but shrugged it off.

"Alright, do you mind me working with you?" He sighed and shook his head 'no'. I smiled up at him sweetly, making his eyes widen a little. Hey, I got my seduction skills from one of my best friends. My brothers even. Though, this wasn't a seduction he still seemed to be affected by my smile.

I walked over to him and knelt down in front of the head. I threw the jacket off and looked at her.

"That's nasty." I said and shook my head. Bigby knelt next to me, giving me a curious glance.

"She's got something in her mouth." I said. Bigby looked to and nodded. He pulled it out – without pulling on some gloves, mind you – and held it up.

"It's…her ribbon. There's some kind of symbol here." We both looked at the ring that was hanging on the ribbon. I memorised it for now. Later when I would have some paper and a pen I would draw it down.

"What crazy bastard would put that in a girl's mouth?" I said in disgust.

"I…I don't recognize it." The woman said.

"Neither do I." Bigby said. I turned back to the head and examined the cut.

"Strange cut. What did this to her." Bigby said.

"What could do something like that?" The woman said again. I wonder what she's doing here anyway.

"Something sharp. I would say an axe or something entirely different." I said, not wanting to say that witch or demon did this.

"She was placed here with some care." Bigby said as he looked a little closer.

"What do you mean?" The woman asked, looking confused.

"You can see that someone didn't just toss her here. She was deliberately placed…for us to find." Bigby said.

"What kind of monster would do this?" Snow said devastated.

"Doesn't matter what kind. It's a monster so we hu- find who did it." I said stiffly, almost slipping there. I stood up together with Bigby. Me and Bigby looked around while the woman stared at the head.

"Ugh." I looked at her and her blue eyes met my green ones. "I…I'm sorry, this is just so surreal." Not to me lady. This is actually a walk in the park on a Sunday. Bigby sighed in frustration and put his hands on his hips. My eyes took him in. He didn't look that bad. Kind of handsome in some…gruff weird way.

"Uh, what, uh, what do you want to do next." The woman asked, glancing at me and Bigby. Jeez I really need to ask her name.

"Nothing much else to do. Or is there Agent Tiernan." Bigby asked and looked at me. I hesitated, I really want to sniff this out but with these humans I wasn't going to get away with sniffing at her to find Sulfur or finding some teeth marks or wander around in search for cold spots.

"No, I guess not. I could go for some sleep anyway." I said.

"That makes two of us." Bigby grunted. Yeah, he did look tired and I bet I didn't look any better.

"We should…move her…before anyone shows up." The woman said. I was mildly surprised that she was dealing with this situation better than anyone would. "We'll find out more at the business office. She'll be in the books. I'm sure of it." The woman said.

"Hmm, maybe I should swing by to help." I said. The woman looked a little panicked and Bigby stiffened.

"I can handle this myself agent." I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What? You think this isn't the job for a woman?" I teased him. He rolled his eyes at me with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Not like that age-

"Please just call me Emma." I said with a smile. He smiled back and nodded.

"You can swing by if you want Miss Emma." The woman said with a kind smile.

"Thanks miss…"

"Snow." I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Snow?" She looked a little confused as my smirk widened. "You have all really strange names, you know that? First Beauty then Mister Wolf over there and now Snow." I giggled but stopped when I saw her getting nervous. "Just teasing, hon." She nodded and smiled at me. Her smile faded as she looked at the head again.

"Emma, Bigby…Do you have any idea what's going on? How did this happen? Why her?" Snow asked.

"This is a message." Bigby said.

"A message? I don't know, Bigby. I get complaints at the office all the time, but… Just what about this makes you think that?"

"Whoever did this isn't hiding what he or she has done. The way how he placed her? It's a dead giveaway that he wants to make something clear. We just don't really know what yet. Maybe even as some sort of warning." I said.

"Well, yes… I guess you're right. The killer wanted us to know what they had done."

"Snow, is there any kind of strange history with this building?" She looked at me strangely. "Murders, suicides, maybe someone who owned one of the rooms and was kicked out by someone from where you work?" The woman thought for a while and then shook her head.

"No. No, not anything like that. It's been peaceful here for a long time now." She said. Well damn, that doesn't help at all.

"Humans. I swear they are all just crazy sons of bitches." I mumbled to myself as she walked passed me to go to Bigby who was knelt down in front of the head.

"I'm going to have to tell Crane about this." Snow said. "As long as King Cole is gone, he's acting Major…he needs to know." Snow said.

"King Kong?" She looked back at me as I said this with a surprised face.

"No, King Cole." She repeated.

"You have a guy who's name is King Cole." I asked. She nodded and I looked away in surprise. This is getting really strange.

"We should wait until we have more to tell him. Right now, all we know is a girl is dead. Telling Crane doesn't change that." Bigby said. "I've got all the motivation I need to find who did this." He looked over his shoulder at me. "And I bet you're going to want to help." He said.

"Damn right." I said with a smirk.

"That sounds…reasonable but…I don't know. I'll think about it" Snow said. She's going to tell this Crane guy. I can see it. She's loyal to her job. Like I am loyal to my dad and my brothers.

"I just don't want him interfering." Bigby said. I guess this Crane guy was a pain in the ass to him. Snow frowned and went up the steps.

"Crane's not what's important right now. We need to figure out who this girl was, so we can find whoever did this. Take this back to Doctor Swineheart. He can take a look at it. I'll meet you at the Business Office." Snow said and walked inside, leaving Bigby and me alone with the head.

"Swineheart?" I said. He looked at me and shook his head with a look that said 'don't ask'. I shrugged and began to walk up the steps. "Well, mister Wolf. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, sleep tight Miss Tiernan." He said. I could hear the teasing undertone in his voice. I shook my head and went inside. When I got up to my room, I took off my jacket and shoes. I lie down on the queen-sized bed and fell asleep.

Humans are getting weirder by the day.


	3. Faith part 2

I grunted and opened my eyes. I glared at the bright light shining in my eyes. God damn it. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair. I looked down at my stomach as it growled.

"Time to get some breakfast. There must be a coffee shop in this town." I said. I got dressed, washed up and went out. When I found a shop I ordered some coffee and a muffin. When I was done with eating I walked down the street to go meet up with Bigby and Snow. I stopped when I passed an abandoned street. There was growling and a dark shape running behind a dumpster. I slowly stalked up to the dumpster. While walking I took my gun out of my waistband and clicked the safety off.

I stopped walking for a second and then with a swift move I was facing the place behind the dumpster with my gun pointing towards the wall. I frowned as I found nothing there but dirt. I put my gun back in my waistband and turn back around only to be surprised by a dog looking at me.

"Damn, you surprised me." I said with a light chuckle. I looked at the dog and it gave me big puppy eyes. "Don't do that." I said with a frown. The dog looked like a husky crossed with another kind of dog that I couldn't see. "I'm not taking you home. I don't even know if I can keep a dog in the apartment." I said. I looked in the husky's eyes and found myself staring. The eyes remembered me of Gabriel. My dead best friend. I shook my head and started walking away.

"You're good." I said and the dog barked and followed me.

"Don't. I don't want a dog with an ego." The dog grunted and walked by me.

Bigby's POV (Just for a sec)

I looked at the mirror and hesitated before asking him.

"Show me Emma." The mirror looked at me for a while until he showed me her. She was looking down at a dog walking next to her. The dog looked up at her and Emma looked away with a shake of her head. The funny thing was that the dog copied her movement.

"Something is not right." The mirror said.

"What?"

"For some reason I can find Emma by other names." I frowned and looked at Emma's face. She had a light smirk on her face. Her forest green eyes straight ahead and chin up. Just by looking at her I knew she was a strong and pride woman. I couldn't help but smile at the picture of her and the dog next to her, talking. She was talking to the dog and the dog answered her. Not understanding each other but just reacting to each other.

"I see you have some feelings for this woman." The face of the mirror appeared again with a smirk.

"Shut up." I snapped.

Original POV

I looked at the front of the apartment and back down at the dog.

"Alright, be quiet. If they hear you they'll take you away." I said, the dog answering with a bark. I shook my head and started walking. When I opened the door I checked if the guy behind the desk was still asleep. Luckily he was. I sneaked in with the dog behind me. I looked over my shoulder to find the husky low on the ground, sneaking up to where I was. I turned back around with a shake of my head. This dog is strange. We sneaked into the elevator and I let out a breath in relief when the doors closed.

"You know you make me think of my best friend. You know, I should give you a name. Are you a boy or a girl?" I blinked once when the dog barked when I said 'girl'. "W-what you're a girl?" The dog put a paw on my leg for a second and pulled it away again.

"Okay…how do you even understand me?" I said and she tilted her head to the side like she was questioning what I said. "What do you think about the name Abbie?" She quietly barked and licked my hand. A light smile found itself place on my face. "Of course I see my dead male best friend in a female dog." The elevator door opened and Abbie and I ran to my room. I opened the door and we ran in. I closed the door and sighed. I chuckled when Abbie ran around in the room. I looked up at the clock and grunted.

"Damn I'm late." I opened the door but stopped when I heard whining. I turned to look at Abbie who was sitting behind me with a questioning look. I eyed her for a second before pointing at her.

"Stay." I ran out the door and closed it. I ran to the Office and said sorry to the people that were waiting and glaring at me. I opened the door and went to walk in when my body connected to a brick wall. I closed my eyes, waiting to hit the ground but 2 large hands grabbed at my waist. I opened my eyes and met the face of Bigby Wolf.

"Hey." He said with a smirk.

"Hi." I said back with a shy smile. He put me back up right and let go of my waist. I mentally frowned at the loss of his hands and the heat they gave me. "Sorry I'm late. I got…distracted."

"It's alright." He said.

"So, you know who the girl is?" I asked him.

"Yes, her name is Faith. We were about to go talk to her husband, Lawrence." I looked over his shoulder at Snow and smiled at her. She smiled back and gave me a little wave.

"Alright, let's hit the road." I said and we all walked out. "Isn't that Crane dude coming with us?"

"No, he's having a massage." Bigby said.

"Wow, wow, wait!" I stopped walking and Bigby and Snow looked at me questioningly. "This guy is having a massage while he knows that a girl was beheaded on his doorsteps?" I asked while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yes, he's not…the most understanding guy." Snow said. I rolled my eyes and walked further.

"Idjit." I muttered.

"Did Toad say who was there? Was it the Woodsman?" I frowned again at these weird names.

"I don't know. It's possible. Whoever it was, it didn't seem like Toad was happy to see 'em." Bigby answered Snow.

"Well, Maybe Pr- Lawrence can wait." Snow suggested.

"You didn't see him…he…could use some help too." I ignored the two and their weird conversation.

"Well, where to first." Snow asked. Bigby pushed open the gates and we walked through it. Bigby hesitated before starting to walk.

"We need to tell him about his wife. He deserves to know." I looked down in pain. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. I've lost a lot of people. Some twice or more.

"You're right. And Toad's a tough…guy." Snow said as she glanced at me. "He can probably handle himself for a few hours."

"He'll have to." Bigby said.

"Your town has really crazy names." They looked at me as I said this. "Seriously, is it some kind of family thing?"

"Yeah...you could call it that." I nodded as Snow said this. I take that answer for now but I did note her hesitation. The both of 'em seemed to hide something. And I sure would figure it out later. A while later when it was morning we arrived at Lawrence place.

"I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to, so let's just pick an approach and stick to it, okay." Snow suggested. Well, that's a bummer. I'm more of a…shoot first and ask questions later kind of girl. "Just…humour me." Snow said as she noticed Bigby's and my looks we gave her.

"We're here to question Lawrence and bump him up on the suspect list or cross him off entirely." Bigby said.

"You know what?" I looked back at the building before looking at the two. "You guys choose an approach…I'll just go in and ask him questions." I started walking towards the place when Snow's voice stopped me.

"Wait, Emma! Don't you need a plan?" She asked.

"I have a plan!" I said with a smirk. "Act first, ask questions later. Stick to that and everything will be fine." I said and stepped up to the door. I was surprised to find Bigby right behind me. I looked at him questioningly.

"You're not the only one with that motto." He said with a small smile. I smiled back and turned back to the door. Bigby tried to open the door but it didn't work. "Lawrence, you in there?" Bigby harshly knocked on the door but still no answer.

"Here, let me." I took out a hairpin I always carried around. I bent down to pick the locket.

"I don't think that's going to-"

"Got it!" they both looked surprised as the door opened. I looked at them with a sheepish smile. "Part of the job." We walked in and were met with an awful dead smell. Oh that's not good.

"Oh God…we're too late." Snow said as she walked in front of Lawrence who was seated in the chair, obviously dead. "That makes two fa- people dead…" I glanced at her in suspicion. Really what the hell is with the slip ups? "We need to figure out what the hell is going on here…Who would do this to them?" Snow said, obviously shaken by the dead guy.

"I don't know, Snow." Bigby said in sadness. I turned and went to the window. No sulphur, no demon. I searched for any cold spots but didn't find any. So far, this didn't look like anything supernatural. I looked down and found a blade. But not any kind of blade.

"I recognize this." I said and bent down to look at the blade.

"What do you mean?" Bigby said. I glanced at him and hesitated before taking out the Archangel blade from my jacket. I felt Bigby and Snow stiffen when I pulled it out. I held it next to the blade and looked closely at the signatures.

"Well It's not a blade like this one but maybe…" I put my Archangel blade away and took the Angel blade from my boot. I held it next to it and it was a perfect match.

"Damn…" I whispered. "It's the same as mine…Only a few can get a blade like this."

"How did you get those blades?" Bigby asked.

"The one in my boot is from a friend. The other one…_was_ from my best friend. He gave it to me when he died by his brother's hands. He gave it to me so his brother wouldn't get it." I said and looked down sadly.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Bigby said while scratching the back of his neck.

"It's okay." I said as I put my blade back in my shoe.

"I just don't understand… Why would someone want to kill him?" Snow asked. While looking further we found some sleeping pill, blood on his hand that was already dry and a note on the bed.

"Son of a…" Bigby said as he looked at the note. "It's stuck to the bed a little. My dearest Faith, I never meant to hurt you, and I cannot endure knowing that I have. This was for the best. I'll see you again. Love, your devoted Lawrence."

"I should know his face. There are so few of us…I should know his face." Snow said as she leaned closer to Lawrence. Snow gasped as Lawrence, who was supposed to be dead, took a deep breath, coughed and fell to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" I said, surprised that he was even alive.

"Oh my God. Bigby, he's alive." Snow said as she knelt down next to him.

"What-what are you doing here." Lawrence said as Bigby turned him on his back.

"Let's get you back up." Bigby said while putting Lawrence back in his chair.

"Careful Bigby." I said as Lawrence grunted.

"What are you doing here?" Lawrence asked again. "What's going on?" I think we should be asking you that sir.

"We found you here, in your chair, with what we thought was a fatal injury. We should call Swineheart, have him take a look at you." Snow said.

"It is a fatal injury." I said sadly.

"Wait a second on that, Snow." Bigby snapped. He turned back to Lawrence. "You know who I am?"

"Yes."

"Good. I have a few questions." Bigby said. I looked at him horrified. This guy is dying and he wants to ask questions? Maybe it is a fatal injury but if the guy was still breathing we could still save him.

"Why? Wh-what's this about?"

"Bigby! This guy is dying! Snow, call an ambulance or Swineheart or whoever can help this guy." I ordered.

"Shut up, Emma." I looked at him wide eyed as he glared down at me. My surprised look went away as I turned emotionless.

"Fine, you know what. Screw you." I said and walked over to the wall and leaned on it.

"What happened?" Bigby asked Lawrence.

"I don't know…I…Shit. I…shot myself…in the heart…thought I'd be dead by now…Hurts like fuckin' hell." The guy said. I shook my head at this. Something is going on here. This guy is really supposed to be dead. Or…maybe he's not human.

"Your heart's actually a little more to the centre. You probably hit a lung." If he hit a lung Bigby than he would be drowning in his own blood.

"Great." Lawrence grunted. "At least…that's how I think it happened. Things are a little fuzzy…thought it was a bad dream." Lawrence said. I closed my eyes and when I opened them I silently gasped. The girl with black hair looked familiar. This was a reaper.

"Hello, Lexy." She said. I looked away from Tessa. Yeah that's her name, Tessa. Even reapers have names.

"Why did you do it, Lawrence?" Snow said. I looked up at Tessa and shook my head. She can't take him away yet. Not yet.

"Fine. But I won't wait as long as I did with you, Dean and Sam." She said and in a blink of an eye she was gone. Or at least hidden. I don't know how it happened or why but I can see reapers.

"I did it because I was ashamed. I…couldn't live with myself knowing I had done that to her." Lawrence grunted.

"Suicide," I glanced at Tessa who was standing next to me. "That's actually the most kind of dead people I reap."

"I did what I could to keep her away." Lawrence said. I looked at the picture with the girl and Lawrence in it, smiling with no care in the world. "But she still worries about me. She came by, makes sure I'm okay. I'm a fuckin' burden, I'm useless… I don't want her to have to worry about me anymore. She's better off without me…without me being here to drag her down. She deserves that. She's been through a lot. I just wish I could've done better by her… She's always been there for me."

"He'll go to a better place, Lexy." Tessa said as she laid a hand on my shoulder.

"With her?" I whispered. Tessa looked away with pain in her eyes. Tessa was actually the only reaper that cared enough to tell me about things like this. Other reapers were mostly asses.

"Go away. Just fucking go away" I looked away from Tessa to see Lawrence crying.

"I'm sorry to inform you…that…your wife has been killed." Bigby said with regret. Lawrence looked shocked, pained, and sad. For some reason I was happy he didn't know about the deal making demons.

"No…no, no, no, no…" Lawrence sobbed. "I knew this would happen."

"It's almost time, Lexy." Tessa said. I glared at her and she glared back.

"I'm sorry…I am…but I'm gonna need you to help me find whoever did this. So you need to try and remember anything that could possibly help us." Bigby said.

"…Fuckin' Georgie." Lawrence cursed while shaking his head and closing his eyes.

"Lawrence, I uh…" Bigby was interrupted by a knocking on the door. I stood back up and turned to look at the door.

"Do you…" Snow asked. Bigby shook his head and looked back at Lawrence.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Bigby asked. Lawrence shook his head no. I looked at them with a glare.

"Stay there." I took my gun from my belt and clicked the safety off.

"No. Wait." Snow said. I stopped walking and heard the familiar sound of someone picking a lock. "We need to know why whoever's out there is breaking in. I need your help." Snow said. I shook my head and held my gun up, ready to shoot anyone dangerous.

"What do I do?" Lawrence said.

"Just play dead." Snow said. I looked back at them before looking at Tessa who shrugged at me.

"What?" Lawrence looked shocked at Snow.

"Trust me. You can't move in your condition anyway, so just stay still. The second we figure out what they're here for, Bigby and Emma will arrest them." Snow said. Bigby went to stand next to me and we both looked at the door.

"We gotta be fast. That door is almost open." I whispered to him.

"Think about your wife." Snow said. That's kind of a low blow there Snow. I looked back to see Lawrence nodding. The three of went in the closet and hid. I put my gun away and took out my angel blade. I never liked shooting that much. I used my blade a lot more.

"I don't know who that is." Bigby whispered. I pushed myself next to him to see who he was referring to. Some short fat guy was standing in front of Lawrence. "Just stay quiet Lawrence."

"Bigby, he has a gun!" My eyes widened as Lawrence put a gun to his head.

"Shit!" I whispered harshly. Bigby opened the door and tried to get through it. I grumbled and slid to a small opening between his leg and the other closed door. I started running after the intruder with my blade in my right hand.

"Hey! Stop!" I turned my head to see Bigby running behind me.

"Leave me alone." The fat guy yelled. Bigby was faster than me and ran passed me. The fat guy closed a door and Bigby just ran against it, slamming the door open. I ran in just a second after Bigby ran in. We went up the stairs, dodging a table tumbling down. The guy kept throwing things as we chased him on the stairs. The guy slammed to my amazement a couch over in our way. Bigby tilted it up and I went under it running after the guy. Bigby caught up with me in a few seconds. We came up to 21 rooms and decided to go in the one left to us. The guy tried to get through the window but was too fat. Bigby took his right leg while I took his left. We started pulling and Bigby got a kick in the face and was pushed back. I kicked too and tumbled down on Bigby.

"Shit! Sorry!" I said. Bigby grumbled and we both stood up. We went through the window and chased the guy again. The guy had jumped over to another balcony. Bigby tried to do the same but the railing of the balcony he jumped to gave away and Bigby fell down to the Balcony underneath it. I jumped down next to Bigby and helped him up. We went through the closest window to us and started running again. We ran and to my amazement again, Bigby jumped out the window. I didn't think and just jumped out too. I landed next to Bigby in a dumpster. The guy already standing outside the dumpster.

"Hey!" The guy started running again but Bigby tackled him. I crawled out the dumpster with a grunt and stood next to Bigby.

"Ease up Bigby…we're on the same side here." The fat guy said. I breathed in and h-out heavily. Next to me Bigby put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily like me.

"You…son of a bitch…made us…run after you…" Bigby looked up and started pacing. "Why…did you run?" Bigby asked while coughing a little.

"What?" The guy said.

"What, you deaf or something? Why did you run?" I snapped.

"Fuck man, because you two chased after me. The fuck was I supposed to do?" the guy said and stood up. Bigby got up to him with me just a few feet behind. "You're lookin' for the Woodsman, right? My employer is looking to ask him a few questions, too."

"Who are you exactly?" Bigby asked.

"I'm Dee, and I'm a private investigator. There's a business card in my shirt pocket. You can see for yourself." I glared at him, Dee.

"Dee? You serious?" I rolled my eyes at this. Anyway I wasn't going to believe that stupid business card. I make fake FBI cards. I know when something is fake. Bigby however just took it out and looked at it.

"This is for a sandwich shop." Bigby said.

"Really? Huh. Must've run out." Dee said with a smirk, knowing we couldn't really do anything.

"Who hired you?" I ask.

"I can't tell you that, pretty lady. It's confidential. Sorry. I'm sure you understand." He said while eyeing me. I looked at him disgusted and put my arms over my chest.

"Nope." I looked at Bigby who sounded slightly angrier than before. "Can't say that I do. Come on. You're coming with us."

"This…could've been easy." Dee shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry. It still is." Bigby said. "Come on."

"Dum." Dee said.

"Dumb? Yeah, it is. Look, it'd be much easier for you to-"

"No, I'm Dee…" He looked past us to something. "He's Dum." I turned around only to feel a sharp pain in my head and fall to the ground.

"Emma!" I saw Bigby being hit too and fall to the ground next to me before my vision went black.


	4. Faith part 3

**Writer's POV**

"You almost look peaceful." Snow said. Bigby grunted and opened his eyes.

"Yup." He said while rubbing his aching head.

"Except you're lying in a dirty alley." Snow said.

"Yup." Was Bigby's only answer.

"With an open wound on the back of your head."

Yu- Emma!" Bigby sat up and looked next to him. Lexy was lying next to him, still unconscious and a cut on her forehead. He put her in his lap and examined her head. "That's gonna hurt." He said with a shake of his head. Bigby lightly shook Lexy.

"Emma? Wake up, Em." The girl grunted and opened her eyes. She looked around before closing her eyes again.

"Shit." She said.

"How do you feel?" Bigby asked.

"Like I was hit by a train paired with a hangover." She grunted. She opened her eyes and this time looked confused. "Why am I in your lap?"

"Uh…you were lying on the ground so…" Bigby searched for an answer but didn't really find one.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, sheriff." Lexy said and smiled.

**Lexy's POV**

I hesitated before giving Bigby a peck on his cheek.

"Thanks. For worrying about me." I said and looked in his now wide eyes. I shifted and stood up with Bigby doing the same.

"Where'd they go?" Bigby asked Snow. Snow was looking at us with a raised eyebrow. She gave me a long look that said 'we're gonna talk about this later'.

"Well, after the one guy hit you and the other one stopped kicking you…"

"That explains the ribs." Bigby Interrupted Snow while putting a hand on his ribs.

"Then they jumped into a car and drove off." Snow said. I looked around before slightly touching my head. I hissed when I touched the cut.

"We should check in on Toad. See if there's anything there that can get us back in the trail." Snow said while giving me a concerned look.

"Alright, let's go to that Toad guy." I said, slurring a bit.

"Are you alright, Emma? You don't look so good." Snow said. I felt Bigby's eyes on me the whole time. I glanced at both of them and smiled a little.

"I'm fine." I took a step to prove that I was good but started tumbling forward. Bigby caught me just before I broke my nose on the ground.

"Alright, maybe I'm not so fine." I said as Bigby brought me back up right and let me lean on him.

"I think you should go back to your apartment and sleep it off." Bigby said. He held me close as I began to sway.

"No! She's not supposed to fall asleep with a concussion!" Snow said in a panic.

"Relax, Snow. I don't have a concussion. Just the hit with lack of a good night sleep got me a little fuzzy." I said.

"Alright, come on." I squeaked when Bigby lifted me up in his arms.

"Bigby, I can walk!" I said loudly.

"Yeah, sure. We've seen that." He said with an eye roll and a little smile.

"Shut up, puppy." I said while putting my arms over my chest. I saw the annoyance in his face when I called him a puppy.

"Hey! I can drop you, princess." He said as he looked down at me.

"Oh cool it. Wait, did you call me princess? Don't do that." I snapped at him.

"You call me puppy, I can call you princess." Bigby said with a smirk.

"Asshole." I muttered but couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Bigby said while grinning down at me. Someone cleared their throat and Bigby and I slightly jumped at the noise. Wow, I didn't even remember Snow was with us. A few minutes later I was put in my bed by Bigby.

"Thanks…mom." He playfully glared at me as I said this. Suddenly Abbie came running in the room and sat on the ground next to my head. I looked at her and back at Bigby with a guilty smile.

"Uh, I know how this looks but-"

"I won't say anything." Bigby said as he petted Abbie's head who nuzzled her snout in his hand.

"Thanks." I said. He stood up and I gave him a smile.

"Just rest." He said and started walking out.

"Wait!" Bigby turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Give me your number so I can call you when I'm done resting." I said. He smiled a little and gave me his number.

"Sleep tight princess." Bigby said as he started walking again.

"See you later, Puppy." I said. I heard him grumble something under his breath before he closed my bedroom door. For a second I just smiled at the door before frowning and shaking my head.

"What the hell are you getting yourself into, Lexy?" I said to myself. I lie down and closed my eyes. A while later I woke up and felt better. I stood up and rubbed my eyes. I took my phone and called Bigby.

"Hello?" Bigby's rough voice came through the phone.

"Bigby? Where are you? I'm done resting." I said as I started pulling on my leather jacket.

"I'm going in the Trip Trap Bar in the Bronx. Meet me inside."

"Alright, see you in a sec." I ended the call and took my car keys. I went down to my car and jumped in. I started driving towards the Bronx and stopped when I found a place to park. I put my keys in my jeans pocket and slowly walked towards the bar. Suddenly I heard growling and crash from the bar. I kicked the door in and-

"I'm the lap dog, huh? Here. Fetch." A large white arm fell down in front of my feet. I looked down at it with mouth open. That's not a human arm. I looked up to see a white monster cradling his shoulder, whimpering in pain. His shoulder had no arm attached to it anymore.

"You fucking monster!" A man yelled angrily.

"Emma." I heard someone familiar whisper. My eyes met yellow eyes.

"Bigby?" I whispered. The man in front of me looked just like Bigby but more animalistic. He had yellow eyes, auburn hair, a beard, sharp claws and sharp teeth. He looked like a damn werewolf. Bigby nodded sadly at me. His eyes held something animalistic but also some sadness. I looked him over and when he took a step towards me, I took my Archangel blade and held it in front of me.

"Bigby, you've got some serious explaining to do." I said as I glared at him.

"I know." He sighed and walked over to the bar. "Whiskey." I gasped a little when I saw a large pink woman with horns behind the bar. What the fuck is going on in here! The…woman gave him a glass but Bigby took it and let it fall to the ground.

"Double." He snapped. Slowly, the woman gave him a bigger glass and poured the whiskey in it. I was still standing at the door with the arm in front of me. I looked at the white monster who was sobbing in pain. I saw the guy who still looked normal to me backing off slightly.

"Don't even think about it." Bigby said. He turned his head and I saw he was back to normal…or at least without yellow eyes and beard.

"Is this the type of treatment I can expect if I let you take me in?" The bald guy said. I walked a little further in the bar but stayed close to the door.

"Hey, he started it." Bigby said. I was still too shocked to say anything. Suddenly we all looked towards the door as someone walked in.

"Alright, I got a hundred bucks for the first bloke that can tell me something about a girl named…" The guy stopped when he saw the white monster sobbing. It was one of the guys that knocked me and Bigby out. "Fuck." The guy said as Bigby turned to look at him. Bigby went after the guy that hit us before. I turned to go after them and saw that Bigby had the guy pinned against the wall.

"Fuck man! That's not necessary." The guy said. Was it Dum or Dee? And was he also like Bigby or that woman? I looked back to the bald dude who escaped in through the restroom. I went to go after him but was stopped by Bigby.

"It's alright we'll get him later." He said. I so badly wanted to say 'he, not we.' But I kept my mouth shut.

"He's the one you want. Not me." The guy yelled.

"Your brother won't be saving you this time." Bigby said. I merely stood there, watching them. I didn't know who to help anymore. "C'mon you're under arrest." Bigby said as they walked out the door. I cautiously followed them as I put my blade away.

"I told you, I didn't do it!"

"Then you got nothing to worry about." Bigby answered the guy.

"My car is a little further away." I say in a cold voice. We started walking with Bigby following me.

"Emma." I glanced towards Bigby to meet big brown puppy eyes that match those of Sam's. "I can explain this."

"You better. What the fuck was that?" I snapped.

"Let's talk about this at the Office." He said.

"Why should I trust you? For all I know you were keeping me around for a snack. Me being the snack." I said. The fat guy snorted and I glared at him, shutting him up.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already." He said angrily but his eyes showed sadness. I hesitated before answering.

"Fine, but no funny business or I'll kill you." I said. Bigby rolled his eyes at me and smirked a little.

"You can't-"

"I can." His smirk fell as I looked at him seriously. "You're not the only one who lied about what he is." He frowned as I said this. Well, it would be fair if I told him I wasn't Emma or an FBI agent if he tells me what he is. When we rounded a corner we saw police agents all over. Bigby put the guy down and cuffed him to a lamppost.

"Do anything stupid and I'll throw you down the Witching Well myself." Bigby said. I was too tired to even ask what a Witching Well precisely was. We started walking towards the agents. When he walked under the police lint, agents started going after him. I ran towards the agents and took my ID.

"He's with me!" I said as I showed them my FBI ID. They backed off as they looked at it. I turned and followed Bigby. We walked through the gates of the woodlands. We waited until the agents cleared and when that happened we were both speechless.

"Oh my…" I put a hand over my mouth as we looked at Snow's head…without body. I looked at Bigby and saw him looking sad and pained but also angry. I know how he feels. Loosing someone close to you. He was going to be a mess. I put hand on his shoulder to give him some comfort. Though I didn't know what the hell he is, he's my friend. And right now, he needs a friend to help him.

"B-Bigby…It's…I-I'm so sorry."


	5. Smoke & Mirrors Part 1

I was staring at nothing, the image of Snow's cut of head lying on the ground played over and over in my head.

"Miss Tiernan…" I was worried for Bigby. He had to talk to the police and I know he isn't up for talking about this. I wouldn't either.

"Miss Tiernan?" I know how he feels. I've been through worse even. Why would anyone do this?! But don't worry. I will avenge Snow, together with Bigby.

"Miss Tiernan!" I slowly looked to my side. A grey haired guy with glasses stood next to me, holding a box. He looked pissed off.

"Let me guess. The massage guy." I said. The guy frowned but shrugged it off.

"I'm Ichabod Crane. If I get it right you've seen Mister Wolf turn." He said. I nodded and he grunted under his breath.

"Stupid dog."

"Don't call him that." I glared at him as he looked up. He winced but kept looking in my eyes.

"Come with me." He said and started walking. We started walking in the police department when he opened something.

"What's that?" I asked. I got no answer from him. Suddenly he opened a door, revealing Bigby.

"We have to go, now." Crane said.

"What did you do to her?" Bigby asked. I felt so much regret when I saw the red around his eyes. He looked even more tired than normal.

"She'll be fine. It's just a memory wipe spell. Very expensive, but it works. The whole station will forget the last 24 hours and everything they saw at The Woodlands." Crane said. Bigby's eyes suddenly turned to me. I shuffled my feet a little. Feeling uncomfortable.

"You look like shit." I say with a forced smile.

"Emma." He stood up and came over to me. I jumped a little when he grabbed my arms. "Are you alright?" His concerned brown eyes looked in my surprised green ones.

"I'm…fine. Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself." I said and gave him a light pat in his arm. He seemed to relax at that a bit.

"Well, hurry up!" Crane said and walked out. I glared at his retreating back. Bigby let go of me and took the picture of Snow's cut of head. Crane led us to his car and we stepped in. Bigby and Crane in the front. Me in the backseat. After a while driving both cleared their throats. I wanted to ask them what they are but Bigby started to speak.

"Thanks for bailing me out." Bigby said.

"Certainly." Crane said. "We, uh, we found Tweedledee chained up to a post. That was you're doing, correct?" TweedleDee? Like the Tweedle brothers from Alice in Wonderland?

"Yeah." Bigby said.

"Well, I don't know why you detained him. Dee was at the Trip Trap when Snow was left at the Woodlands, so he couldn't possibly be involved in this mayhem." Crane said. "Bluebeard's currently interrogating him…" Bluebeard?! Okay I got to say something.

"There are two of them. Dee and Dum. And they've been snooping around every crime scene I've looked at." Bigby said.

"That doesn't mean they're necessarily involved in the murders…" Crane said."

Alright, enough." I leaned forward a bit as both man looked at me in the mirror. "I just wanna know who you are…or what you are. Cause with the names I've been hearing I would say you're all characters out of children books…or fairy tales." I said.

"Miss Tiernan-"

"Singer…" It was silent for a moment.

"What?" Bigby said, looking confused.

"My name isn't Emma Tiernan…its Lexy Singer. And I'm not FBI." Bigby looked surprised and disappointed. I looked away from him in shame. I had to lie. No one believes a girl that proclaims she hunts the supernatural.

"…Alright, Miss Singer. We are Fables. Yes we're characters from fairy tales. We've lived for hundreds of years." I nodded as Crane said this and looked down.

"Bigby Wolf…Big…B…Wolf…Big Bad Wolf." I looked up at Bigby who looked at me. "That explains your weird name and how you looked last night."

"Yeah." He said.

"The Big Bad Wolf is the Sheriff? That's a little bit ironic, don't you think?" I smiled a little at Bigby who smiled back.

"Hey, don't judge Princess."

"I'm not, Puppy. I should be honest too. I'm not FBI but a hunter. I hunt the Supernatural. Like demons, ghosts, vampires, shape shifters and a lot more." Bigby looked surprised as I said this. "I'm not going to hunt you." He smiled a little and I smiled back until my mind went to Snow.

"Snow…Snow White?" I asked sadly. Bigby nodded and turned back around. It was silent again.

"I know what you're thinking, Bigby. It's been one full night and a slice of morning, and I already miss her, too." Crane said. Bigby didn't answer him. "You know, I never get more homesick than when one of us dies. And now…for it to be Snow…I've never been good with these sorts of things. I just can't believe this is really happening."

"Dwelling on this shit isn't helping." Bigby said.

"Well, I apologize if my attempt at handling this has 'disturbed' you Bigby, but I thought we had some common ground." Crane snapped back. Well, I understand Bigby's reaction and Crane's too, I guess.

"All right. It's been a shitty couple of days. I know you're trying." Bigby said.

"Thank you." Crane answered. "I don't know why I'm asking you two, but did she give any indication as to what she was thinking…when you saw her last, I mean? I don't know why, but I'd like to know that she was…I guess, fine, I suppose."

"Not that I know of. I was resting in my apartment from the hit I got." I said as I touched the sill visible wound on my head.

"She just told me to be careful." Bigby said.

"She was always fond of you, Bigby." Crane said. I frowned when I felt…jealous I suppose. Oh god, I can't feel this way. He's not human! I can't do that…but…he is handsome…and maybe a little rough at the edges but a sweet guy none the less.

I'm in so much trouble when dad hears of this.

"I don't know what else to say, Bigby. We have to…have to put an end to this." Crane said after a few moments of silence. "It's been two murders in as many days. If we don't unearth our culprit and soon, there will likely be another on our door step tonight."

"I'll get it done." Bigby said before stepping out the car.

"Please Bigby. For Miss White-"

"I got it." Bigby snapped and closed the car door. I jumped a little when the window in the door cracked. I followed Bigby in with a concerned look. Soon we were going down to the basement of the Woodlands.

"You ignorant fuck." A heavy duty door opened up, showing a bald guy holding a knife on fat guy's throat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Crane said as he walked in first.

"Hello, Ichabod, Sheriff." The guy looked me in the eyes. His eyes wondered over my body, making me step a little closer to Bigby. "Miss." He nodded towards me before turning back to the guy. I looked at him for a second before smiling a little.

"Baldie." I said. He glared at me but looked up at Bigby as he stood a little in front of me.

"Bluebeard." Bigby said with disdain. These two obviously don't like each other.

"I was just chatting with our new friend." Bluebeard answered.

"You were supposed to wait for us to get back! I told you, if you want to be involved, you will do things my way. No violence." Crane snapped while Bigby closed the door.

"A prison in the basement of an apartment? I don't know how I need to feel with that." I whispered to Bigby.

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll keep you safe." Bigby said with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever you say, Ichabod." Bluebeard walked away while Bigby stepped up to Dee…or Dum. I glared at Bluebeard as he looked me over again.

"Hello, Bigby." The guy said.

"I want answers, Dee." Bigby said angrily.

"Oh goodie! I thought you wanted questions, and I was having so much trouble thinking of any good ones. Though I'd settled on, 'How's your head?'" Dee mocked. Sorry to break it to ya, buddy. But being a smartass isn't going to get you anywhere.

"You see what I've been dealing with?"

"Boohoo." I said and looked over my shoulder at Bluebeard.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Bigby said to Dee. "Snow White is _dead_." I glanced at Bigby. This wasn't going to end well.

"Look, I didn't kill anyone." Dee said.

"And I'm supposed to just believe you?" Bigby said.

"You were with me when it happened, dummy." Dee said. Bigby was silent for a moment before he leaned in, closer to Dee.

"I still have questions for you, Dee." Bigby said.

"Sounds like a personal problem. What? You angry because I hit that Mundy over there." Dee said while motioning with his head towards me.

"She's a Mundy?" Bluebeard said in disgust.

"Watch your tone." I said in a sweet voice. "This Mundy can do more than you think." While I said this I glanced at both Dee and Baldie.

"This is ridiculous." Bluebeard said.

"Let him work. He's got mire experience with these kinds of things." Crane said.

"You know I saw you at Faith's apartment. What were you doing there?" Bigby asked.

"Girl's got air-conditioning." Dee mocked him again. "You can't imagine what it's like." Suddenly Bigby hit him in the stomach. I tensed a little but let them be.

"Alright, Dee. Let's get to know each other." Bigby said.

"You know, I really like spendin' time with you Bigby. You're so pleasant. Let's be friends." Dee said when he managed to talk again. Bigby this time hit Dee on his jaw. "Fuck!" Dee yelped. "So…this is how it's gonna be."

"Just tell me what you were doing at Faith's apartment." Bigby said as he placed his hands on his hips.

"I can't tell you! And pushin' me around isn't gonna change that. My brother and I work hard, and we keep our mouths shut. That's the deal." Dee yelled.

"I forgot about your brother…Dum, right? How appropriate." Baldie said.

"Where was your brother last night?" Bigby asked Dee.

"Are you accusing him of something?" Dee said.

"What do you think." Bluebeard said.

"He didn't do it, if that's what you're getting' at. He didn't kill her!" Dee defended his brother like any good brother would. "You have no fucking right to keep me here. You have no evidence! Give me my stuff, and let me go."

"What did you find on him?" Bigby asked as he turned to Crane who was tensely looking on.

"Oh, ah…nothing of consequence really." Crane put Dee's belongings on the table. Bigby took a roll of cash and turned to Dee.

"You always carry this much cash?" Bigby asked.

"I don't like banks, so what?" Dee answered with narrowed eyes. Bigby put the money back down before turning back to Dee.

"Where's your brother?"

"Look, mate. I'd like to help, I would, but I can't tell you where he is. Last time I saw him, we split up, and I went to find Faith's-" He stopped talking for a second. " I don't know where he is now. But he didn't kill anybody." Dee said.

"You were looking for Faith?" Bigby said.

"Look…I went to her apartment. That's no secret. You saw me." Dee said with a shrug.

"No, there's more to it. You said you were trying to find something." Bluebeard said. Suddenly I realized something. The Angel Blade.

"All right, Dee. Since you never answered my first question…What did you want from Faith?"

"Were you searching this?" I took out the Angel Blade that was hidden in my boot. Dee looked surprised for a second but masked it with a glare.

"Sorry, I can't help you. I'm not saying any more about it." Dee said, looking like he did feel guilty for not being able to answer. Bigby took the cigar that was lying on the table. He put it in his mouth and took his lighter.

"I'm saving that." Dee said in annoyance.

"This is really…what's the point in this?" Crane asked Bigby who didn't answer him. Bigby stayed concentrated on Dee.

"Here." Bigby reached out the cigar to Dee who didn't take the friendly gesture good.

"You punch up my fucking face, and now you wanna be best friends? No fucking way! You're out of your mind." Dee said, obviously irritated.

"Look, things got out of hand. We're past it now. Won't happen again." Bigby apologized…well, not really. He didn't sound like he was sorry. He sounded more pleased with his work than anything else.

"Unbelievable." Dee said seeing the bluff Bigby gave him. "Yeah alright." Bigby gave him the cigar and this time Dee accepted it. "Wanna see a trick?" Dee grinned and blew the smoke in Bigby's face. Bigby turned his head away and coughed a little. Bigby threw down the cigar and stepped on it.

"Look, Bigby." Bluebeard stepped up to Bigby. "This isn't going to work. Don't you want to find out what happened to those girls… to Snow White?" Bigby sighed as Baldie said this.

"Let me handle this." Bigby said calmly. "Come on, Dee. What did you want from Faith? Was it the blade?" Bigby asked. "A sweet girl like her-" Bigby looked away from Dee. He obviously felt sorry for Faith.

"Sweet? You think that girl was sweet? She was a fuckin' thief." Dee said and mocked laughed a little. "Fuckin' sweet. Faith was plenty of things, but that ain't one of 'em." Dee said. Well, if that Angel Blade was in her possession…yeah than she was a thief. You don't get Angel Blades that easy. You have to kill an Angel, which is a pain in the ass to do, to take its blade away.

"She stole from you?" Bigby asked.

"Not from me. She stole from my boss."- Hell, I ain't got nothing worth takin'." Dee answered with a light smile.

"Your boss…" Bluebeard asked. He seemed to be not able to stay out of his. Dee's smile faded and he looked at everything except us.

"So, let's talk about your boss then." Bigby said.

"You're gonna get me in trouble, Bigby. I can't answer any more of your questions." Dee said. Bigby took the whiskey bottle and opened it.

"You just, carry this around?"

"Always handy that way." Dee answered Bigby. Suddenly Bigby smashed the bottle on Dee's head. Any human would be passed out by now. But they weren't humans. Dee merely looked surprised by this.

"Bigby!" I said, surprised he did that. He glanced back at me before turning to Dee.

"What the fuck?! Bigby, you shit!" Dee yelled.

"Last chance, Dee. Who are you working for?" Bigby said while taking Dee's collar in his fists, pulling Dee up a bit from his chair.

"Fuck you! You're a piece of shit, Bigby." Dee said angrily. "Beauty was wrong about you. You're just a sick-"

"Beauty?" Bigby interrupted Dee. "You're full of shit." Bigby said and out his lower arms against Dee's neck.

"Oh, we're good friends." Dee choked out.

"That's enough." Crane said while walking up to Bigby. "I will not tolerate this savagery! You think someone was trying to kill Snow? Isn't it more likely someone was trying to get back at you by killing her?" Now that was low.

"Fuck you!" Bigby said, still holding Dee in his grasp who was choking. "Don't put this on me!" Suddenly the door behind us opened. Crane and I turned around and my mouth fell open as I saw the person standing there.

"What's going on down here?" Bigby pulled away from Dee and turned around. Now we were all staring at her in surprise while she glared at us.

"Holy shit." I said.

"Emma, Bigby, come with me." She said. Bigby and I looked at each other before following her up to the lobby.

"What the hell was going on down there?" Snow asked when we reached the lobby. "Abusing a prisoner like that…" Bigby looked away sadly. "I thought you could control yourself."

"We thought you were dead, Snow." Bigby said.

"And that makes it okay?" Snow snapped.

"Hold your horses, Snow. What would you do if you were in Bigby's position? Damn, if I were him that guy would be stone cold dead in front of my feet!" I said. She glared at me with her blue eyes.

"Emma this-"

"It's Lexy. And I know everything about you. What you are. Who you are. All that shit. By the way, I'm not FBI I'm a hunter. I hunt the supernatural. So please, for everyone's sake, don't piss me off. You think that was abusing? Than you haven't seen a hunter torturing a demon." I said. Yeah I don't like Snow that much anymore.

"Calm down, princess." Bigby said as he put a hand on my shoulder. I huffed and lightly leaned against his warmth. This picture probably looked like we were a thing. His arm was practically thrown over my shoulder and I was casually leaning against his side like it was normal to do that.

I don't know how he does it, but the guy calms me down but makes my heart speed up at the same time.

Snow sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I hope it was worth your time." She walked to the elevator, leaving Bigby and me to follow her. Something I hated because it looked like we were her pets. My heart dropped a little as Bigby took his arm away from me.

"Where the hell have you been all night, Snow?" Bigby asked.

"I was working in this case." Snow snapped. "After our conversation in the taxi last night, I got a call from Toad. He said his son found a body. We thought it was Faith at the time…Getting her back here wasn't easy, but hopefully we'll find something on her to help us track down the killer."

"I should have been there, Snow." Bigby said just when the elevator doors opened and Snow stepped in.

"I tried calling the Business Office, but there was no answer. I could find you or Em- Lexy. Or anyone. So I took care of it." I gotta give it to her, she's a hard one to crack. But she wouldn't survive a day of my life. There was an awkward silence in the elevator.

"Snow?"

"What is it."

"I'm glad you're not dead." Bigby said. Deep in the pit of my stomach I felt the jealousy. I looked at my feet and silently sighed.

"Me too. I just want to get to the bottom of this." Snow said. "I just feel like…" We walked out the elevator.

"What is it." Bigby asked, concerned over Snow's wellbeing.

"I just…I feel responsible in a way. She looked just like me. Maybe that's why she was killed." Snow said as she turned to me. Well, Dean went through something like that. With the shape shifter and all.

"I don't think it's about you. There's something else going on here." Bigby answered. Snow considered it for a second.

"Maybe." She said as she crossed her arms. "We just have to find out who did this. And why she was glamoured to look like me…I mean that's what it is, right? So what's our next move?" Bigby followed her as she walked again. I stayed for a second and rolled my eyes. I really hope she isn't going to complain about everything.

"We just keep doing what we've been doing." Bigby said. "We do our jobs."

"And I'm supposed to do what?" Snow said with a glare. "Sit around the Business Office twiddling my thumbs? Waiting for the Big Bad Wolf to solve all my problems?"

"That's not what I meant." Bigby said.

"Then what did you mean? I told you, I'm tired of sitting around! I'm not going to be an errand girl for Crane anymore!" Snow yelled.

"Maybe you should stop bitching about this and start doing something. You idjits think way too much." I snap at them. "If you want to get something done than do it." Both looked at me. One with a raised eyebrow and one with a glare. I looked at Snow who glared at me. "You got a problem, Snowball?" I snap and walk past her. I open the Business Office but stop in my tracks as I saw a flying ship pass by. "That's new." I say to myself.

"TJ is waiting inside." I turn to her as she looked at me with a now calm look. "He was so freaked out last night, he wouldn't tell us much. Even now, he just stops talking altogether after a certain point. He's pretty shaken up though, so try not to be too…You know…" She looked Bigby and me over and shrugged. I so badly wanted to say something but I held it in.

"Myself." I wince at Bigby's answer. Someone should not have to pretend to be something else. Even if he is the Big Bad Wolf. Snow looked at me for an answer and I glared.

"I might be rough around the edges but that doesn't mean I'm going to snap at a kid." I snap at her. She really frustrates me.

"Right." Snow said, her voice low. We walked further in the Office making me look around at all the stuff. I shook my head when I saw the lamp from the Aladdin stories.

"TJ's over there, I don't know if you want to talk to him first or after, but let me know when you're ready to see the body. I'd…I want to be there." Snow said. Suddenly a green…monkey with wings and black eyes like a demon perched on a pillar. My hand twitched to the blade in my jacket but I let it go when Snow went up to the monkey.

"Bufkin? Do you have a second?"

"Of course, Miss Snow." The monkey answered.

"I'm not even gonna ask." I sighed. I glanced up at Bigby who gave me a half smirk. "Can I have a tour from you Mister Wolf?"

"Of course, Princess." I rolled my eyes and followed him to a bureau. He looked at some tarot cards lying on the table.

"You believe in those?" I ask. He shrugged and took one.

"The moon. Usually this is about deception or confusion, but for me…well, who knows." He threw the card back on the table and took another. It showed an old man dressed in a long grey cape. The hood was on his head and he was holding a lantern. "I hope _you_ find what you're looking for." Bigby said with a little snap in his voice. He threw the card down. "You take the last one." He said as he looked at me. I hesitated before taking it.

"Well?" Bigby asked as I stared at it. I blushed a little when he came closer and looked over my shoulder. "The Ace of Cups…" he hesitated before explaining. "Often, the Ace of Cups will predict the start of a relationship, one that is full of potential and may eventually lead to true love and happiness. Or that's what they say, at least." I nodded and looked up at Bigby. His dark hazel eyes meeting my green orbs. Momentarily I was lost in the big puppy like eyes. Both our eyes widened a little when we noticed how close we were standing. We looked and awkwardly shuffled away from each other. I threw the card down and looked at Bigby out of the corners of my eyes.

"Shall we go on?" Bigby nodded. He stopped walking though when he saw something.

"Antacids. Maybe this has been harder on him than I thought." Bigby said.

"The guy doesn't look like someone who takes these things easily. He proved that when you started hitting Dee." I said and received a grunt from Bigby. We walked again and went up to a table where a thick book lied open.

"This is the book of Fables." Bigby said as he gestured towards it. I looked at it and saw a woman surrounded by 7 dwarfs.

"That's Snow White, right?"

"Yup." I nodded and looked further.

"Looking a little aggressive there, Puppy." I said as I looked at the wolf. The wolf's teeth were showing and he was glaring at the man with the axe.

"That wasn't one of my best days." Bigby answered.

"That the Woodsman?" I said as I pointed at the guy with the axe.

"Not much has changed between Woody and me." I nodded and saw Red riding hood.

"Little Red Riding Hood." I said. Bigby looked sadly down.

"She…Didn't make it."

"…I'm sorry." I said and put a hand on his shoulder before looking further. "Beauty and the Beast?" I said as I pointed at a woman with blonde hair and dressed in red holding a mask of what looked like a lion with horns. The man next to her looked at her and held out a rose.

"Always putting on a show for each other." Bigby said with a shake of his head.

"Who are that?" I asked. I pointed at a…girl I think dressed in a fur with a donkey head over her head. Next to her on each side of her was a young man and an older looking man. Bigby sighed as he looked at it.

"Faith, her husband and her father." I smiled sadly and looked further in the picture.

"Who's that?" I pointed at someone running from a headless guy.

"Ichabod Crane…scared shitless." I snorted as Bigby said this.

"Okay…maybe we should go to the kid." I said. Bigby nodded and stopped me as I went to walk away.

"Uh, Toad and TJ…they are Toads." I blinked at him once as he said this.

"Toads?" I said, wanting to know if I heard it good. Bigby nodded and let go of my wrist to scratch the back of his neck. "Okay, thanks for telling me first…just one thing."

"What?" I looked at him playfully.

"I'm not kissing the frog." He snorted and pushed me a little.

"Funny." He said as we started walking.

"I know, I'm awesome." I winked at him and he rolled his eyes. We walked up to them, TJ turning first and looking up at us with a scared look. They really were Toads. The larger Toad turned around before turning back to the mirror. I looked at the face of the mirror. Oh so that's the mirror from…Nope I don't know the story. Thanks to being a hunter we don't get many fairy tales. It's more tales about demons, vampires and all that.

"Ah, that's enough, mirror! Vanish! Cancel!" Toad said.

"Toad! What the hell are you doing?" Bigby asked as the Toad angrily swatted at the window.

"Don't even get started with me, Sheriff!" The toad snapped.

"What's going on?" Snow appeared next to Bigby as I stood on the other side of Bigby.

"I saw what you did down there. Is that how you treat your prisoners?" Toad asked receiving a glare from Bigby. "I'd be lying if said I didn't want to give TweedleDee a good smack after what he put me through! But what you did to him was way over the bloody line! You scared the shit out of me little boy! He saw everything!" The little toad looked concerned. His big eyes met mine and I gave him a gentle but apologizing smile.

"Okay, Mr. Toad." Snow said as she put a hand on her forehead.

"No." Toad snapped. "I want an explanation."

"And what did you expect to see?" I pursed my lips as I saw the little boy getting more scared.

"I thought maybe I'd catch you on the shitter." I snorted and put a hand over my mouth as Bigby glared at me. "But I saw somethin' worse, didn't I?"

"That's enough!" Snow raised her voice before looking sadly at TJ. "Mr. Toad, I deeply regret the distress this has caused you and your son, but right now we need to carry on with the investigation. I will be happy to speak with you about your concerns later, but you must understand how urgent this is." I looked at Snow in surprise.

"To hell with the investigation!" I said before bending through my knees. "Hi." I said to TJ. He was a little hesitant before he looked up at me.

"Hello. You are very pretty." I smiled as the little kid said his. Toad or not, it's still just a kid.

"Thanks. My name is Lexy." I said as I pointed at myself.

"TJ, nice to meet you Miss Lexy." TJ said, getting a little more confident.

"You see Big Bad Wolf over there?" I said and motioned with my head behind me at Bigby. The boy glanced up before nodding. "He's not that bad you know. A little rough around the edges." TJ seemed to relax just a bit when I said this. "Inside he's just an overgrown puppy." TJ smiled a little at this.

"Lex." Bigby warned me.

"Oh shut it." I said as I smiled up at Bigby. "Don't give me those puppy eyes." He rolled his eyes but I saw the smile on his face. "You see," I turned back to TJ who was now smiling at me. "Not bad at all. And if anything happens, I'll put a leash on it."

"I'm not gonna be put on a leash." Bigby said from behind me. I would have laughed at this but I have to keep my cool. "Are you ready to talk to the big puppy?" TJ nodded and I smiled. Bigby bent through his knees next to me to get on eyelevel with TJ.

"Watch yourself, Bigby. If you do anything to hurt me boy…" Mr. Toad warned.

"Are you…okay?" Bigby asked. The boy wiped a remaining tear from before I talked to him.

"I go swimming at night sometimes, in the river…I wasn't doing anything bad, I promise." TJ said.

"Of course, you weren't." Mr. Toad said.

"Don't worry TJ. You seem like a nice kid." The boy smiled at me as I said this.

"You're not in trouble. Just tell me what happened." Bigby said from beside me.

"I was there…under the big blocks. And I heard noisy feet. And when I hear that, I'm supposed to go underwater and stay real still and quiet." TJ looked at his father and Mr. Toad put a hand on TJ's back.

"That's right, son."

"Then I saw…I-I saw the lady…" TJ began to sob a little. The kid was still in shock.

"Oh, honey." I said and put a hand on his head. "It's okay, dear. Don't worry. It's gonna be okay." I said as I petted his head.

"Take your time." Bigby said. His husky voice calmed TJ down and got my heart fluttering.

"The lady…fell in…but she didn't have her head on! I thought…I thought she was gonna pull me down too. 'Cause-'cause sh-she had rocks on her feet. And she kept falling down in the dark parts." The boy sobbed. God damn it, a kid like him shouldn't see things like this.

"Cinderblocks. Tied to her ankles. Is there more TJ?" Snow asked.

"Is it true…you know when people are lying? I heard you could do that. That's why you're the Sheriff." Don't say something stupid now Bigby. This kid doesn't want a stupid answer.

"Yeah, part of my job is being able to tell when people are lying. I'm really good at it." Bigby said with a smile. I immediately wanted to see him smile more. It suited him and it made him even more handsome. "Is there anything else you want to say." Bigby still smiled as TJ looked at his father.

"Please don't be mad." TJ said to Toad.

"What is it, TJ?" Snow asked.

"I…I didn't stay under the water." TJ said.

"What?" Toad said while putting his hands on his hips.

"I know I'm supposed to, but I was scared, and I went to the top again. I couldn't help it!" TJ said loudly. Poor kid. I really feel sorry for him.

"I gave you very specific rules! You have to stay quiet and out of sight or bad things can happen. I told you!" Toad scolded.

"Leave him alone, Toad." Bigby said warningly.

"He's my son! I've se boundaries for a reason."

"The kid was scared. Hell, he still is. Cut him some slack will you?" I snapped. Toad glared at me but I glared right back.

"Lexy is right. This is a special circumstance. Leave him alone." Bigby said.

"So you didn't stay underwater…" Snow said.

"I don't know…if anyone saw me, but someone said 'stop laughing'. And then I was scared and I went under for as long as I could." TJ said.

"Wait, you heard someone?" Snow said.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Toad asked.

"I didn't wanna be in trouble." TJ said, looking down at his feet.

"Did you hear anyone laughing?" Bigby asked.

"No." TJ started sobbing again.

"Poor thing, a kid isn't supposed to experience that." I whispered. Bigby nodded in agreement.

"Did you see who it was?"

"No!" The boy sobbed.

"Bigby, I think that's enough. The kid can't take any more of this." I said. Bigby hesitated as he looked sadly at TJ.

"Sheriff…" Toad warned.

"Okay, TJ." Bigby said. The Big Bad Wolf showed his big sad puppy eyes. There's that inner puppy I was searching for.

"I'm sorry. After I came up again there was no one there, and I ran home. That's all. I promise. I want to go home." TJ sobbed.

"It's okay, TJ." I said. I smiled when I found in my pocket some candy. "Here." I gave him the candy and he looked at it. "For being such a good kid." The boy silently sobbed but smiled up at me.

"Thank you, Miss Lexy." He said.

"No, thank _you_, kiddo." I said.

"Okay, you can go." Bigby said.

"Thank you, TJ." Snow said.

"Okay, son. Let's go home." Toad said as he patted his son's back.

"You did a good job, kid." Bigby said with a gentle smile that lit up his tired face. Toad and TJ walked passed us while Snow stood up. Bigby stayed crouched down with me as he looked over his shoulder at the toads.

"You should smile more." I said. He turned his head to look at me. I stood up and smirked down at him. "You look handsome when you do." I said, not really ashamed of telling him this. I followed Snow and soon Bigby was walking beside me.

"That went about as well as I expected." Snow said as we stopped walking and watched the retreating back of TJ and Toad. "You want to go look at the body now?" Snow asked.

"In a minute." Bigby said.

"When you're ready." Snow answered.

"Lexy, you coming?" Bigby asked. It made me feel welcome.

"Yup, where to Pup." I awaited his rolling eyes but this time he just gave me a glance. I guess he's getting used to me calling him that. We stopped in front of a mirror.

"Hey mirror." Bigby said. Suddenly the mirror showed a green face.

"Hello, Bigby. Nice to see you." The mirror answered.

"What were you showing Mr. Toad and his son?" Bigby asked.

"Cinderella, selling shoes, Rapunzel, Rose, and of course there's you. And I can't help note that you did not rhyme. Do try to stick to the rules next time." The mirror answered in a rhyme.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Bigby said a little annoyed.

"Oh, when you start rhyming I will laugh my ass off." I say with a smirk. Bigby glared at me and I stuck my tongue out.

"Where can I find TweedleDum…uh…that piece of scum." I snorted loudly and giggled.

"Bigby, you made my day." I said. He pushed my shoulder a little but not too hard. The mirror showed us Dum sitting in a car. Not much to see really.

"The Woodsman and I were fighting, now I want to know where he's hiding." Bigby said. I bit my lip while smiling joyfully. The mirror showed us the Woodsman, drinking from a bottle.

"Well, that's helpful." Bigby said.

"Alcoholic? I though he was the hero of the story?" I said, not really expecting the woodsman to be an alcoholic.

"Things aren't always what they seem." Bigby said as he looked in my eyes.

"You got that right." I said with a nod. We walked away from the mirror and headed towards Snow.

"You want to go look at the body now?" Snow said.

"Yeah." Bigby answered, looking sadly at the ground.

"Oh my goodness! I almost forgot!" The green monkey said. He flew away and took the box with the head in and flew over our head towards the door.

"Come on." Snow said. Her voice low with sadness and guilt.

"Where are we going actually? The basement?" I asked.

"No, the Witching Well Chamber." Bigby said.

"Witches?" I asked and Bigby nodded. "Oh, joy!" I said ironically.


	6. Smoke & Mirrors Part 2

When we got down to the Witching Well chamber I started grumbling under my breath. It was chilly and it looked like some bad things happened here. We walked further in the room until we got to a table, where Snow's body with head cut off laid. Well, the fake Snow.

"Wow." Snow said as she stepped closer to the body. "I didn't realize…I've never seen her face before now."

"Are you gonna be okay?" Bigby asked. "You don't have to stay."

"I want to stay." Snow said with a loud voice. "I'll be fine, it's just…a little strange. The glamour is so effective, it's…invasive. But…Just do what you need to do." Bigby looked away from Snow. He looked at the cut of neck.

"It looks just like Faith's did." Bigby said. "Did Doctor Swineheart ever get back to you about Faith?"

"No. He said he wanted to run more tests." Snow answered. "If the neck wound was the same, there might be a ribbon in her mouth too."

"Please tell me you're gonna wear gloves now." I said. Bigby turned the head a little and opened her mouth.

"Anything?" Snow asked.

"Nothing. So it's not exactly the same." Bigby said. Snow looked disturbed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Can you…close her mouth?" Snow asked. She obviously wasn't used to this. Of course I still find it disgusting but you get used to it. Bigby looked at her before closing the mouth. "Thanks." Bigby took a brooch from the fake Snow's shirt and gave it to Snow. "That's weird. I don't wear a brooch like that."

"Maybe it really belonged to her…not part of the glamour." Bigby answered.

"Looks like something from the homelands. Bufkin, do you recognize these symbols?" Snow asked as she showed the green monkey the brooch.

"No, nothing I've seen before." Bufkin answered. I looked at the fake Snow's ankles.

"Rope marks." I said as I slightly touched the reddened skin.

"She was tied up?" Bufkin asked.

"They tied cinderblocks to her ankles…so she would sink." Bigby said.

"Some track marks." I said.

"She used Mundy drugs?" Snow asked Bigby, not even looking at me. Rude.

"Hello! Mundy in the house! Don't be such a racist, please." I said with some snap in my voice. "She used a lot of drugs, apparently. They go for the legs when the veins in their arms can't take anymore. It could also be that she was trying to hide it." I said.

"Wait." Snow said. I looked up at her with a bored look. "If the glamour is supposed to make her look like me, shouldn't it be concealing things like track marks? That brooch too. Why would it change everything else. I've never seen one this sloppy?"

"Maybe it's wearing off or some cheap shit?" I suggested.

"It's possible it's designed not to." Bigby said.

"Designed not to hide track marks?" Snow asked.

"Good point." Bigby said with a sad smile.

"The witches upstairs know what they're doing, that's why they cost so much. Unless someone is making glamours illegally?" Snow said.

"It's not technically illegal, miss." Bufkin said with his high voice. "It's not encouraged, for sure, but there aren't any laws specifically forbidding it."

"So there's some sort of black market for glamours?" Bigby asked.

"One would assume so. I imagine anyone with access to the proper books and training could theoretically produce a glamour." Bufkin said.

"Yet another thing to worry about." Snow sighed. "Black market or not, it's a pretty good match." She touched her jacket before looking back at the fake Snow. "Look at that. The buttons aren't exact either. There's an extra one…here." Snow touched the extra button on the fake Snow's jacket while saying this.

"You're right. These buttons are wrong." Bigby said while scratching his stubble. "I wonder…" Bigby hesitated before looking at Snow.

"What?" Snow said with a frown.

"Snow, do you mind if I…open her coat?" Bigby said while reaching for the fake Snow's coat. I stiffened and looked away. I so wish that Castiel would take me out of here or just calls so I don't need to see that.

"Bigby. Just let me do it." Snow said. Bigby stepped back and let Snow unbutton the fake Snow's coat. The blouse the fake Snow was wearing was half unbuttoned.

"It's not you, Snow. It's just a body." With a sad concerned look.

"Does give you a mental picture." I said. Both looked at me with curiosity. "Shit like this happened before. A little different though." I looked at them with a smile. "Who can say they saw their own funeral." I said.

"Well I certainly hope you're behaving yourself up here." We turned around to see Crane walking up to us.

"Keep your mind out of the gutter." I said with a smirk. I was not affected by the glare I received next.

"Now that you're done smashing bottles on people. What have you found out." Crane said as he turned to address Bigby. Snow turned around to look at the body again before walking away from us. "Well?" Crane said as he and Bigby were done looking concerned at Snow.

"She was using Mundy drugs." I looked up with a glare as Bigby said this.

"Racist." I huffed. Bigby gave me an apologetic look, making me roll my eyes at him.

"Pretty heavily too, judging by the track marks on her legs." Bigby said.

"Track marks?" Crane said with a shaky voice. "Isn't there…there are diseases…"

"I don't think she has to worry about that now." Snow snapped.

"No…no, of course not." Crane answered.

"We should keep going." Snow said. Bigby looked further and suddenly leaned in closer with narrowed eyes.

"Are you wearing silk lingerie, Snow?" My eyes widened when Bigby asked this. I smacked the back of his head for that. "What the-" Bigby glared up at me as I glared right back.

"You don't ask something like that!" I said.

"Why do you want to know?" Snow said with a frown.

"I'm just trying to see if the clothes are exact." Bigby said. I really felt angry right now. But I concealed it.

"They're not." Snow answered curtly. Bigby took something out of the pocket of the fake Snow's coat.

"What is that?" Crane asked. Bigby sniffed the air for a second before looking at Snow.

"It's your perfume." Bigby said.

"How do you know what perfume I wear?" Snow asked. Because he has a thing for you, Idjit!

"You can't fool this nose." I rolled my eyes and walked a little away from them, leaning against one of the pillars. "Also, I saw the bottle on your desk." Stalker much? "Looks like someone picked it out for her."

"So someone gave her instructions?" Snow asked. From afar I saw Bigby look in another pocket and take out a mall wooden tube. "I've seen things like this before…It's definitely magic, though witches don't usually craft objects these days."

"I don't think it's wise to fool around with that." Crane said. "It's some kind of black market magic, who knows what it could do? We should have it looked at." I narrowed my eyes at him. He's a strange guy. "Just to make sure it isn't dangerous. Don't you think?"

"You may be right. One way to find out." Bigby said. He shook it by his ear and hummed.

"What?" Crane said, obviously scared.

"There's something in here." Bigby said.

"How do we open it." Snow asked.

"Might want to stand back if you're worried, Crane. I'm gonna try to open it." Bigby said. "Something to do with these rings here." Bigby turned the rings for a while until they heard a click.

"A deer? What does that mean?" Snow said. Bigby opened it and emptied it on the table. He held up lock of hair.

"Is that-" Bigby sniffed the air again.

"It's your hair." Snow looked surprised before angrily frowning. Bigby put the hair down and picked up a little paper.

"Someone must've taken this from my apartment." Snow said as she took the paper. It was probably a photo or something. "I noticed it was missing, but I didn't think…This was the last picture I had of Rose and me." Sow said as she walked past me. Bigby followed behind her. "My sister and I don't talk much anymore. Who did this, Bigby?" She said. Suddenly the body lit up in a green light. Snow, Bigby and Crane looked shocked while I looked on curiously.

"Oh my God." Snow said from behind me.

"She's a troll?" Bufkin said in surprise.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Crane said. We walked back to the body and looked down at her.

"Yeah, she's a troll. Can we move on?" Bigby said casually.

"Who is she?" Snow asked. She looked over the body and stopped at the ankles. "That wasn't there before. Who do you think she is? I don't know many trolls, I'm afraid." Of course you don't.

"Should've left them all back in the homelands." Crane said. I glared at him.

"You guys, are all fucking racists." I hissed.

"She looks like Holly." Bigby said.

"The owner of the Trip Tap? No she looks a little…" Snow stopped talking before saying, "Oh no."

"What is it?" Bigby said.

"It's not Holly, it's her sister Lily." Snow said. "She was reported missing, but I…I guess it just slipped through the cracks."

"We have to go tell Holly." Bigby said.

"Right. Who knows, she might know something about this. Who Lily was seeing…" Snow answered.

"Well, certainly another troll." We turned to look at Crane who looked at us with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We should go." Snow said.

"You can't go out there!" Crane exclaimed.

"Why not?" Snow snapped back.

"It's too dangerous. Someone tried to kill you." Crane said. "Bigby, you can't let her go out there with you. You'd be putting her life at risk."

"If Snow wants to come with me. I'm not going to stop her. We should leave now. You ready?" Bigby said and Snow agreed. I looked down at the ground with a glare. Maybe I should reconsider this. This wasn't my job anyway. I hunt the supernatural. I don't go around helping every supernatural who's in deep shit.

"Lexy?" I looked up at Bigby who was waiting for me. "You spaced out there for a minute. You coming?" I hesitated before nodding. I ignored the confused frown as I walked past him without saying anything.

"Are you okay?" Bigby asked. I glanced at him before wordlessly nodding my head. "Okay? You sure about that." I nodded once before being stopped by Bigby taking my wrist. "Alright, tell me what's wrong Princess."

"Nothing." I aid silently, not looking at him.

"Hey! Look at me!" He said loudly and turned my head towards him. I slapped his hand away and glared at him.

"I said, nothing, Bigby!" I snapped. He looked surprised and sad for a moment. I looked down and sighed. "Just…cut me some slack, will you?" I looked up at him with a light smile. "Please? Be a nice pup for me." I said. He hesitated before nodding and smiling a little.

"But if here's anything I can help with Princess, just tell me." If I told you that I'm jealous of Snow you would laugh at me so…no.

"Thanks, Bigby…I appreciate that." I said with a small smile. "Come on, let's go." We walked outside and before they turned to go walking I stopped them.

"Let's take my car." I said. They followed me to my car and when we got there they were both staring at it. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get in." I said as I sat down in the driver's seat. Bigby was sitting next to me and Snow was in the back. I saw Bigby wanting to light his cigarette but when he saw my glare he put it away. When I found a parking space close to the Trip Trap we stepped out and went in. The people in the bar stopped talking as we walked in. Bigby dropped the cigarette that he lit up when we stepped out my car. He stomped his foot on it and looked around.

"C'mon, Holly, I need entertainment." The blonde guy said to the woman who was staring at us. The blonde guy turned around and blinked once. "This'll do." The guy who was seated at the bar looked like he was blind in one eye and had only one arm. I guess he's the one that got his arm ripped off by Bigby. The woman, Holly started putting the glasses away that were standing on the bar.

"Okay, okay, I know, just relax. I'm not here to start anything." Bigby said.

"Okay." Holly said after exchanging a glance with the guy seated at the bar.

"Miss White. I heard you had kind of a strange morning…" The blonde guy said.

"It's been 'kind if a strange morning' for everyone, I think." Snow said. Oblivious for the guys mocking tone. Blondie walked up next to Bigby and put an arm around his shoulders. The blonde started talking while Bigby glared at him.

"Every time I see this guy he seems to lose weight. It's amazing, it really is. He loses weight and yet somehow keeps all the muscle."

"Jack." Bigby said in a low voice.

"Wolfie, my dear, how are you?" Bigby didn't answer and just walked away from the Jack guy. "Because, you know, we were just talking about you. All of us." Jack leaned against the bar as he faced us. "At the bar, here. About you."

"No, in Disneyland." I said with an eye roll. This guy already irritates me.

"And who is this pretty lady." He said while standing up straight but I just gave him a bored look.

"Not interested." I said. He went to come over to me but was stopped by Bigby. Bigby's large hand rested on Jack's shoulder, telling him not to come over to me.

"I just need to talk to Holly. Privately." Bigby said as Jack backed off.

"Alright, just give us a second first." Jack said. "I'm dying to hear about the body that came out of the East river this morning. It was a Fable, right?" Bigby looked at Jack questioningly. "Oh, everyone knows." Jack answered.

"TweedleDee was just here." The half blind guy said.

"Dee?" I said. Bigby and I exchanged a confused glance.

"He said it looked like Snow White." Jack said.

"You sure it wasn't TweedleDum?" Bigby snapped.

"Well, no, but _he_ seemed pretty sure." Jack answered.

"Crane." Bigby said under his breath.

"Sorry." Snow said. I gave her a glance but turned back to the task at hand.

"TweedleDee said you arrested him for no earthly reason, 'Kept him locked in the cellar all fuckin' night"…" Jack used a British accent that sounded a lot like Dee's. "He said you tortured him. Which…I dunno, that seems like a breath of your legislative duties." He said in his normal voice. "Bigby, c'mon, you can't be so dumb as to-"

"Jack. Find the off button. Now." Holly said.

"What is it with you two? You and Gren are all, 'Let's get a posse together,' when there's no one around, but as soon as the Big Bad Wolf walks in your tails go between your legs." Jack said, ignoring Bigby's angry glare. "He fucking maimed you. Aren't you pissed?" Jack asked Gren, the guy with one arm. Gren glared at Jack who still didn't get the memo he needs to shut up. "Cat got your nerve? What happened?"

"What happened? I'm tired is what happened." Holly said.

"Tired of what?" Jack asked with a shrug.

"Of trouble, Jack. I'm sick and tired of trouble. I don't want anymore." Holly answered angrily. "So just stop revving his motor or wait outside or fuck the Hell off, I don't care which." I smiled as she said this. She isn't that bad.

"Jack." Bigby said before Jack could answer Holly.

"What? Bigby…look…two Fables are dead. And shit, Gren's sister-"

"Holly's sister." Gren interrupted Jack.

"Fail." I said with a smirk.

"Holly's sister has been missing for, what, a few days now? And we haven't heard word one about it from anyone."

"Blondie, if you didn't get it yet, shut your cakehole." I said. He looked surprised at me as I stared at him dangerously in the eyes.

"Actually. Have there been any updates? On my sister?" Holly asked. I turned my eyes to the floor, not wanting to tell her that her sister died.

"I…don't know how to say this to you, Holly. The woman we found in the river…" Bigby said but stopped, obviously not knowing how to say this to her.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"You know who it was." Bigby said, giving her those sad puppy eyes. Holly turned away and looked a little surprised before closing her eyes.

"Boy, I sure walked into that one." Jack said.

"If you say one more fucking thing, just one more thing…" Gren threatened Jack. Finally blondie shut up and went to stand to the side with arms crossed. "God fucking damn it!" Gren said angrily before turning to look at us. "Of course the dear Princess Snow fucking White is all safe and sound!" Snow frowned at this but I couldn't help but slightly agree. It seemed like the ones that weren't of high standards were close to the criminality and a lot in danger compared with the others. "Where were you when we reported this weeks ago, huh? Where are you when we ever fucking need you?!" He yelled at Bigby as he stood up and began pacing. "If you'd given one ounce of a shit about her, about any of us, she might've been saved! She might've been cared for! She might've been-" Gren stopped talking when the glass in Holly's hand shattered.

"All right, everyone. Clear out." Bigby said.

"I ain't leaving her with you, no way." Gren said. Holly walked from behind the bar and wen to sit on a chair. I followed her with Snow right behind me.

"Holly." Snow said.

"Get the fuck out of my bar." Holly said angrily.

"I think it's better for you to go." I said to Snow. She looked at me offended but walked off anyway. I took a chair and put it next to Holly and sat on it. "What do you want?" She asked me bitterly. I didn't say anything for a while.

"Nothing, Holly. If you want to tell me anything, I don't care about what, I'll listen." I said. She didn't say anything but her saddened look changed to a frown.

"You're a Mundie." She said.

"Yup, I am." I said with a nod.

"What do you care about us." She asked while looking at me. I looked back at her with a smile.

"I've been protecting people from when I was 6 years old. I might be something different than you but that doesn't mean I don't care." I said. She gave me a sad smile and I gave her one back. She turned back at looking at the floor with a sad but angry look.

"It should have been her. It should have been her and it wasn't." Holly said angrily. From the corners of my eyes I could see Snow looking sadly down.

"I'm so sorry Holly. I wish I came here earlier…maybe I could've prevented this. Than you wouldn't be so sad and Lily would still be here." I said. I put a hand on her shoulder and when I did her shoulder sagged, like the weight of the world was dropped on her shoulders. Bigby and Snow came over to us.

"We recovered this from her personal effects." Snow said while handing Holly the brooch. "I thought you might like to have it." Holly took the brooch.

"I…I didn't know she still had this. The copper was from a dwarf mine…It's very rare…and very old." Holly said.

"That was decent of you." Bigby said. Snow smiled up at him but he was looking at me. I gave him a half smile before turning to look at Holly. "Gren?"

"Yeah?" Said guy answered.

"Take off for a bit, would ya." Holly said. She trusting us.

"Are you sure." Gren asked. Holly glanced at me before she answered Gren with a nod. As Gren walked out I gave her a smile. Holly stood up as did I. I watched Gren and Jack leave the bar before following Holly. She took out a glass and poured herself a drink.

"I don't know that much about her life…honestly, we didn't talk often." She said before drinking. She sighed when she put down the empty glass. "She was lost here, in the city. She just got swept away by it." Holly sat down on one of the chairs.

"Why were you two not talking?" Bigby asked carefully.

"It seems so fucking petty now, but, I just…I didn't want to watch her wither. I think she was off the Mundy drugs but…She was hooking. To pay down debt. It ate me up to see her that way. Eventually, the only people she owed were at her work, you know, that shithole club. The Pudding 'n Pie." Holly said. Bigby raised an eyebrow at her while I watched her curiously. "The owner, Georgie, with all his fuckin' 'fees,' it's a crock of shit. Its how they kept her under their thumbs, really." She looked at me with saddened eyes before she looked down again.

"Holly, i-it's OK. If it's too much, we don't have to do this." Snow said.

"Georgie, huh? Not the first time I've heard that name. What do you know about him?" Bigby said. Holly shook her head in response.

"We can just go talk to him. We've got a lead. Maybe we can take it from here?" Snow said.

"Lily." Holly mumbled.

"Thanks for everything, Holly. Is there, um, is there anything we can do to-"

"No, no, I'm better off dealin' with things alone. I don't need sympathy and I don't need charity." Holly interrupted Bigby.

"It's not charity, it's looking out for our own." Snow said.

"Is she…where is she?" Holly asked.

"She's at the Business Office. She's taken care of." Snow answered.

"I'm gonna have to go down there and get her. Fuck." Holly cursed.

"Please, we can handle the funeral arrangements…" Snow said in a soft voice.

"No, no it's-It's a kind of-It's a formality with trolls. We burn our dead by sunrise or…I dunno. Some old world shit will fuck your soul up." Holly said. Well, that sounds a lot like hell and its demons.

"Of course." Bigby said.

"Okay. Good." Holly answered.

"Let's go down to the Business Office and start making the necessary preparation, alright?" Holly and Snow smiled at each other sadly and started walking away. Snow stopped in front of Bigby.

"That club?" Snow asked.

"We'll go down there now, see what we can find out from the owner." Bigby said as he looked at me. I gave him a nod with a smile.

"You were good with her. I'm impressed. Really, thanks. It just made everything easier." Snow walked away and I breathed deeply in through my nose.

"Good doggie."

"Shut up."

"Oh come on. I might call you 'Puppy,' but she actually treats you like one." I said as we started walking out the bar.

"She doesn't." Bigby said as he shook his head.

"Sure, whatever you say, Pup." He growled silently. We stepped into my car and drove off. For a while there was only silence.

"Uuh…Lexy?" I glanced at him before turning back to the road. I turned down the volume off the radio down a little to hear him better.

"Yeah?"

…

"When all this is over…uh…maybe we could…uh…go for some dinner or something." I almost hit the brakes when he said this. I looked at him with wide eyes for a second.

"Dinner?" He nodded and looked out his window. I was silent for a moment until I gave a half smile. "Sure, I could go for some dinner." I said. He smiled at me and I smiled back at him. I parked my car and stepped out together with Bigby. However I stopped in my tracks. I saw a shadow of wings in a little backstreet a few feet away from the Pudding 'n Pie. "Hey, Bigby." He walked up to me and looked down in my eyes. "Do you mind doing this one on your own? I…uh…" C'mon Lex, think of something. "I don't feel comfortable going in there." I said. He nodded and gave me concerned look.

"Sure, no problem. Just stay in the car." Bigby said and started walking away.

"Okay, if anything goes wrong, just give me a howl." I said. I heard him huff, making me smirk. When he was in the building I opened the trunk of my car. I opened the secret department and took out a pistol together with salt bullets. I slowly creeped over to the alley and walked in it. I held up my gun and looked around. When I saw no one I stopped walking. Suddenly I started to feel dizzy and started to tumble over my own feet.

"What the hell?" Suddenly everything around me turned black. The ground around me disappeared and it felt like I was falling. I closed my eyes as my back hit the bottom. "What the fuck is going on?" I looked around the darkness but found nothing. "Hello?" I yelled but got no answer. "Shit." Suddenly a horrible torture that only could be witnessed in hell was played in front of me. I screamed at seeing that and suddenly found myself tangled in chains. Scarier things flashed in front of me and one demon was slowly dragging a knife over my arm. I saw a guy being tortured by drilling a hole in his. I saw more tortures and suddenly a creepy song played in my head. The same song I heard every day of my stay in hell. I stared scared at the floor as a man…or what was left of the man crawling over to me. It looked like his bones were broken in every place. The blood around his mouth from the previous human dinner he had. It got closer and the song turned louder and louder, pounding in my head. When the man was close I was about to scream again but everything disappeared with a white flash. I closed my eyes at the brightness of it.

When I opened my eyes I was lying on the ground of the dirty alley. I sat up and looked around. I hissed when I felt a slight sting on my arm. I pulled up my sleeve and found a red gash on my arm. So that wasn't a dream. When I looked up my eyes met the beautiful blue orbs of the angel with a trench coat.

"Castiel?" I said. He nodded and pulled me up. "Cas, what was that? It…it looked like-"

"Hell." Castiel finished for me. "It was a Djinn." I looked at him as I brushed the dirt of me.

"A freaking Genie? Wasn't it supposed to take my blood? And what I saw…that isn't anywhere near my wish. The opposite actually." I said.

"There is a variant form that possesses the same powers and weaknesses, but turns the victim's insides to "jelly"," He used his fingers to make the quotation marks, making me look at him weirdly. "And feeds on fear rather than happiness. They trap people in hallucinations of their worst nightmares rather than their happy dreams." Castiel explained. He looked at my arm with his usual inexpressive look. "He was about to but I got to you in time."

"Well, thanks Cas. You saved my ass once again." I said with a smile. However my smile faded when he looked at me with angry eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Lexy." He asked.

"Uh, I don't understand. Why are you so-"

"Those people. There are bigger things to do than this. Like helping with finding Raphael." Castiel interrupted me. I looked at him in surprise.

"What the- have you been keeping an eye on me?" Castiel didn't answer, he just looked at me. "Dean set you up to this, didn't he? Cas, I'm helping them. They need my help!" I said.

"They are not of import."

"They are to me!" I yelled. I spoke again when I was calmer. "Cas, you're like a brother to me. And I'll help you with finding Raphael but these people…they need my help." Cas looked away from me as I said this. "Please don't tell them of this. They'll come here and probably hunt them." I took Castiel's face in my hands and turned it towards me. His blue eyes looked in my green ones. Castiel sighed and nodded. "Thanks, Castiel." I hugged him, ignoring him getting tense as I did this. He hesitatingly hugged back for a second but then let go. "Your friend is watching us." He whispered. I nodded and in a blink of an eye he was gone. I walked back to my car and while I did this I saw an angry Bigby come out of the shadows. He was hiding in the alleyway next to the Puddin' and Pie.

"Pup-"

"Where were you?" I lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Shouldn't he know where I was. He did watch me and Cas anyway.

"I was just out for a second. A saw a friend of mine and he needed to talk to me." I said.

"I told you to stay in the car." He growled. I narrowed my eyes at him and walked up to him. Our faces were so close that our noses almost touched.

"Listen, Bigby. You're not my boss. I'm helping you voluntarily. I can just walk away and pretend that nothing is going on here. So, don't boss me around. You won't like the outcome." I said. We glared at each other before he sighed and looked down.

"Alright…I'm sorry." He said. I breathed in through my nose and nodded.

"Alright, did you find anything in there?" I asked.

"Yeah, this girl, she gave me a room-"

"Oh, god, please I don't want to know that." I interrupted him as I looked at him in disgust.

"Not in that way." He hissed. "She gave me a room key of this hotel where Lily and her client were staying. I bet we can find something there.

"Alright, just let me take my gun out of the trunk." He nodded and we walked to my trunk. I opened it, ignoring Bigby's confused look. Of course there was only a jacket, a monkey suit and a picture. I smiled when I opened the hidden compartment.

"What the…" I looked at Bigby who stared at all the guns and knives and other stuff that was hidden.

"Yeah, this is kinda the standard needs of a hunter." I said and took my gun, putting bullets in it. "Alright let's go." I closed the compartment and the trunk. I put the gun in the belt of my jeans before turning to Bigby. We walked through the doors of the hotel that was called 'The Open Arms'. Bigby took out a cigarette and lit it up. The hotel looked in poor state. Dirt was lying around everywhere and well…even worse than the motels I slept at. We walked over to the desk and Bigby rang the bell.

"Want it by the hour or for the whole night?" A female voice said. The person bend down a little to see who was at the desk. When the woman saw us she gasped in surprise.

"Beauty." Bigby said, just as surprised as her.

"Oh, so you are beauty." I said while pointing at her and smiling. She had beautiful wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. From what I saw she wears a lot of red. She glanced at me before turning back to Bigby. She pushed open the glass window that was between her and us. Well the glass was covered so you couldn't really see who it was.

"I work here, okay? I work the front desk. It's to help pay rent." She said, obviously not liking working here. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced between us. "So now you know. I know I should've told somebody…But Beast would lose his mind if you knew. Beast is a proud man, Bigby. He wanted to do right by me, and he…he just couldn't handle it if he knew I had to do this so we don't get evicted. All of our friends live at the Woodlands. He'd be mortified."

"Well…you should've known when you guys came here that everything that's generally human costs a fortune." I said. Bigby gave me a look and I shrugged. I was only telling the truth.

"Well…your secret's safe with us, alright? Let's not make a big thing of it." Bigby said and I nodded in agreement.

"Thanks Bigby and…"

"Lexy."

"Lexy." She repeated me while giving me a smile before turning back to Bigby. "And thanks for covering for me last time, too. So…what are you doing here? Are you two…"

"No." Bigby and I said in a fit of panic we both started to ramble.

"We're not-"

"We don't uh-"

"She's human-"

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I didn't- but we're not!"

"Shush!" I said and Bigby and I took a deep breath. "Awkward." I said. Bigby took out a key and gave it to Beauty.

"Oh…you have a key." Beauty said. She glanced at both of us and the small smile she gave me told me she knew something I didn't.

"Someone else was murdered last night." Bigby said. Snow looked away with a sad look. Her blue eyes saddened and a little watery. "The victim was someone who worked at the Pudding and Pie. Lily. She come around here ever?" Bigby asked.

"Oh! Oh, yes…the, uh, the troll. I did see her. I mean, you know, we never really spoke, but…she came off a tad intimidating." Beauty answered.

"I talked to Tweedledee earlier today…He mentioned you in passing. Do you know him…or his brother?" Bigby asked.

"I took out a loan for backpack – it was like our third notice – and ever since then those annoying freaks have been pestering me for the money plus interest." Beauty said.

"I'm sorry but why take a loan from them? I don't know them but they don't seem like the nice type. The back of my head still aches because of them." I said.

"It was from the Crooked Man." I lifted an eyebrow as she said this.

"Crooked what now?" I said.

"Beauty…" Bigby looked at her with his sad puppy eyes. Who was this Crooked guy?

"You don't know how desperate I was, Bigby! I had nowhere else to go." Beauty said angrily, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Look, if this ever happens again…come see me, Lexy, or Snow, first, alright?" I glanced at Bigby as he said I could help. I know jack squat about funding or anything. All I know is how to kick someone's ass, in hunting and in pool or cards and how to work at a bar. That's about it. I looked at Beauty and saw her looking down before up at us with a sad look.

"I tried." Bigby looked down at me with a guilty look.

"You…Snow didn't help you?" I really couldn't blame Bigby. He doesn't seem like a guy who now about those things. Beauty looked down and shrugged with a shake of her had. I'm going to need to have a talk with her.

"Ever meet a girl named Faith, or just maybe hear that name?" Bigby said, changing the subject.

"I might have. I don't know." Beauty said and shrugged at us. "By the end of the night, it's kind of a blur with all the names. Tara, Brandy, Amber, Heather…Sorry."

"Yeah, those sound like hooker names." I bluntly said. Bigby gave me a look but I ignored him.

"Ever see Lily with someone here? Maybe on a 'job'?" I looked at him disgusted and he s-just shrugged at me.

"Sometimes, but nobody I've recognized. I haven't worked here that long, though…" Beauty answered.

"How about a room register? Or someone named 'Mr. Smith?'" Bigby said.

"That's all we get are Smith's, Jones's or Johnson's. I think the last ones are jokes." I laughed and got a weird look from Bigby.

"It's-It's. Oh leave it." I said and looked away from him.

"Have you seen Snow White down here? Or maybe somebody glamoured as her?" Bigby asked Beauty.

"You know, it's funny. I did see someone who I though looked a lot like her, but…she didn't say anything when she saw me, even though she knew that I saw her. I just assumed it wasn't Snow and went about my business." Bigby threw down his cigarette and stepped on it.

"Thanks." Bigby said. We were about to go up but Beauty stopped us.

"I'll be better if anyone sees you two that they at least see you with me, so they know I didn't let you guys just wander around by yourself…or get the wrong thoughts." She said while stepping from behind the desk. "Five minutes? Please?" Beauty said while walking past us.

"We'll see, Beauty." Bigby said with his eyes narrowed. We followed her up.

"Just be ready to act like I'm trying to kick you two out." Beauty said.

"That won't be hard." Bigby said, making me snort. When we were a few stores up, Bigby stopped and sniffed. He pulled his nose up and looked around with a disgusted expression.

"Pup?" I said as I looked at him curiously.

"Why does it smell here like…rotten eggs." I looked at him with a blank look.

"Are you sure, that's what you smell?" I asked.

"You can't fool this nose." He said.

"Alright, Lassie, you two go up and I'm gonna check this floor out." I said as I started walking away from them.

"Lex, are you sure?" I turned to look at Bigby with a smile.

"Yeah, you go. I'll be up in a moment." He hesitated before going up with Beauty. I looked around and sighed.

"Please, don't let it be Sulfur." I said before starting to look around. I bent down to look at the ground but found nothing. I sighed and put my hands on my hips. I listened on a few door. When I got to the last door I put my ear against the door but pulled away like it burned me. I probably had a mix of a surprised and disgusted face. No thanks to the moaning and grunting from behind the door. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"You really hate me, don't you?" I said to the heavens. I found myself looking at the doorpost. Maybe…I reached up and dragged my fingers over the small edge of the doorpost. I pulled my fingers away and found a yellow powder on it. I took a whiff of it and pulled back at the awful smell coming from it.

"What would a demon do here? You know what. I don't wanna know. I saw some yellow powder on the ground as well and bent down to look at it but I stiffened as a male voice interrupted my actions.

"Miss? Are you alright? Are you searching something?" I turned my head only to look up at a tall muscled guy. Light brown hair was streaked back from his head. His brown eyes kind of reminded me of Bigby's eyes. But Bigby's eyes were brighter, tired yes, but much brighter and puppy like.

"No. Yes. Uh, I lost my necklace. It's a damn small thing. Don't worry. Wasn't that important anyway." I said with a smile. He gave me a weird look but nodded and walked off. I let out a sigh when he was gone. I was thinking about picking the lock but I didn't want to see the whole shebang going on. I would be permanently scared. I frowned when I heard a crash and looked up at the ceiling.

"What the hell?" I said. When I heard grunts I immediately got the guy and Bigby in my head. "Son of a bitch!" I said and ran to the stairs and went up. I ran in the hall where the sounds came from. I stopped running when I saw Bigby, partly wolf, tackling a guy…with horns? The guy that was on the ground grabbed a glass and smashed it on Bigby's head. Bigby fell to the side on his back but recovered fast. He stood up and backed away.

"Hey!" Bigby turned to me. His yellow eyes peering in mine. "What are you doing, pup?" I said. I don't know why but the frustration in his eyes seemed to subside as he looked at me.

"You ruined everything!" The other guy said. Bigby turned just in time when the guy stoop up. "She's my fucking wife!" Bigby pushed him back by slamming his shoulder on the guy. The dude with horns fell back and the door opened by impact. Bigby breathed in and out heavily. Bigby walked in the room and the other guys stood up.

"Shit, Bigby."

"What have you done?!" Beauty said angrily. I walked by them in the room and my eyes widened at the sight of the bloody bed.

"What…what is this?" The guy behind us said. "Bigby."

"Look what you did to the door!" Beauty yelled. I ignored there bickering as Bigby and I stared at the bed.

"Son of a bitch." I mumbled.

"Beauty, stay in the hall." Bigby warned.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Beauty ignored Bigby's warning and just walked in. She looked at the bed and gasped. She turned away from it and put a hand over her mouth.

"Don't touch anything." Bigby warned again.

"Is this- is this?" Beauty stuttered.

"Lily met her client here, 'Mr. Smith,' whoever he is." Bigby said.

"And then…" Beauty trailed off.

"Must have happened right here." Bigby said.

"Last night?" Beauty asked with hysteria in her voice.

"Yeah." Bigby said.

"I was on shift last night." Beauty gasped.

"On 'shift'? What exactly-"

"I'm not a prostitute you idiot! I work the front desk!" Beauty snapped at her husband. Ah, so that's Beast. That explains the horns.

"You don't think too highly of your wife, do you." I said receiving a glare from Beast.

"Do you remember who rented this room last night?" Bigby asked.

"I don't think anyone did, not last night. Maybe they have it long term? I don't know! How am I supposed to know?" Beauty said loudly, almost desperately. "It just seemed like a totally normal night. How is that even possible? There's so much blood…" She looked at the bed with a sad but horrified look.

"Go lock the front door. Keep people out of the hallway. I need you to be sure no one comes in here. This is a crime scene. Okay?" Bigby said to Beast.

"And get me some water!" I said. They looked at me strangely. "Don't question me. I know what I do…most of the times." I said. Beast was about to say something but his wife cut him off.

"Just do what they say." Beauty said. "I'll explain later…okay?" Beast's black and red eyes that were bloody looked at her before walking out.

"Don't forget my water!" I yelled after him. "Love me some water." I said.

"Why do you need water?" Bigby asked me in a whisper.

"I found Sulfur. There could be a demon in this hotel. I'm asking the water for you. I'm not giving you my blades." I whispered back to him.

"What's water going to do?"

"Nothing. I'm going to turn it into Holy water." I said.

"Bigby, Lexy, what kind of a person could do something like this?" Beauty said, oblivious to what we just said.

"That's exactly what we're trying to find out." Bigby answered. We looked at the bed first. "Looks like she was lying down when she was killed. Flowers were already here." He said.

"How do you know that?" Beauty asked.

"Blood pattern." Bigby said.

"She was dragged off the foot of the bed." I said as I bent down to look at the blood. Bigby nodded and went over a table. A book about Snow white was placed there. Bigby opened it and we looked in it.

"What is that?" Beauty asked from her place at the door.

"It's a book about Snow White. Or, about the Mundy version of her story, anyway." Bigby said. I think I'm getting used by the Mundy thing. He turned a page and Beauty asked something again. I was too interested in the post it. 'Fuji? Red Delicious? Empire?' was written on the little yellow paper. Bigby turned the page again and this time it was a picture of Snow lying in the glass coffin. 'Was she breathing?' written on another post it.

"Why is she in a glass coffin?" Beauty said from beside me.

"This is the part where she's in a deep sleep, but they think she's dead." Bigby answered. Beauty turned away with a shake of her head and walked back to stand by the door.

"What's it mean? Why mark the page where she's sleeping?" Beauty asked. I looked back at the bed.

"The bed…with the flowers it looks almost like the coffin in the story." I said.

"You mean, just before…" Beauty trailed off again.

"In the story, that's when someone comes to kiss her. That's our 'Mr. Smith.'" Bigby said in disgust.

"This is creepy. The coffin, and the weird fixation on Snow. What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Beauty said.

"Demon?" Bigby said as he looked at me.

"Do you smell rotten eggs?" I asked. He shook his head with a frown.

"No demons then." I said.

"Demons?" I glanced at Beauty who was looking at me curiously but also scared.

"It's not of import, right now." I said and turned back to investigating. I saw Bigby take a cigarette from the ashtray and sniffed it.

"It's a Huff and Puff." Bigby said with a slight surprised look.

"I thought you were the only one who smoked that crap brand." Beauty said making me smile a little.

"Apparently not." Bigby said, ignoring my smile.

"He brought wine." Bigby said.

"How gentlemanly of him." I said with sarcasm. Bigby picked up a cassette and put it in the back pocket of his pants. I opened the closet and found a dress.

"Someone's been rough with this dress; it's torn." Bigby said from behind me.

"Oh no, she must have been wearing it! He killed her, and then he…took it back off-" Beauty said.

"There's no blood." I said.

"It must have been torn some other time." Bigby said.

"What? What are you thinking?" Beauty asked. Bigby looked down at me and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"We found Lily wearing something else; tailored after one of Snow's suits. It's possible that the dress is actually for 'Mr. Smith' himself." Bigby said.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that." Beauty said.

"That makes two of us." I said to her.

"But I guess a Snow White fixation could go that way, too." Beauty said. "Jesus, that poor girl…what did she walk into? She couldn't have known…she probably just needed the money. She could have been…anyone. How did she wind up…here. I mean not exactly _here_, but…Just how does a person…"

"Bad family situations. Need for money. Other stuff. Shit like that is sometimes unavoidable." I said.

"Like Lexy said. We can't know the answer to that. Every situation is different." Bigby said and Beauty agreed. Bigby went back to the cassette player and put the cassette he found in it. He pressed play and a soft melody came out.

"Bigby, this, I think I heard this music. Last night. It was playing pretty loudly for a while, then stopped in the middle. I didn't think twice about it at the time. I mean, you hear all kinds of things around here and I guess I've already gotten used to blocking them out." Beauty said with guilt.

"Could have covered up the sound of the murder." Bigby said. "Do all the rooms have these same clocks, with the built-in cassette player?"

"I think so, yes." Beauty answered.

"Beauty, is there a way to find out who rented this room?" I asked her.

"Find whoever has the key? I'm pretty sure this one must be held long term, and we don't keep a register or anything. This place is intentionally kind of anonymous." Beauty said.

"Nothing new." I grunted.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about last night? Anything that sticks out in your mind?" Bigby asked.

"Sorry. No. It just seemed like every other night does. That's exactly what's bothering me. From now in I'll just be down there imagining…this." Beauty said. I hesitated before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything is gonna be alright." She looked at me and nodded.

"Thanks." I gave her a sad smile before taking my hand back.

"I'd better not find you hiding something from us about all of this." Bigby said.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not involved in this!" Beauty snapped. "Please, just, do whatever you need to do and let's get out of here." I walked a little away from them and looked down at the ground to search for Sulfur. Though Bigby should have smelled it by now. I crouched down when I found an apple on the ground.

"An apple? Really? Like the bed wasn't bad enough." I said.

"Do you think it was poisoned?" Beauty asked. I looked at Bigby and threw him the apple.

"It wasn't," He said as he sniffed at the apple. "I'd have smelled that. I think it's just a prop. It's here because they were acting out the scene in the book." Bigby said.

"Of course. That makes perfect sense. He's just acting out another part of the book!" She snapped. "God, I'm just having trouble processing all of this. This guy has some kind if a weird Snow obsession, but then there's other stuff, too. I mean, he's wearing that dress? I'm just not sure what to do with that. I hope you two are about through. I don't really want to stay in here any longer." Beauty said as she turned away. From my crouched position I saw something sticking out from under the carpet.

"Bigby." I said as I stoop and walked towards the table. I opened the envelop and took out a picture.

"Are those pictures of the dead girl?" Beauty asked. I put the picture on the table and took another out the envelop. I gave it to Bigby and he narrowed his eyes at it.

"Not all of them." He said as he put the picture down.

"How do you know?"

"I'm in this one. It was taken last winter." Bigby said.

"Nice trench coat Bigby." I chuckled a little as he gave me a playful glare.

"Oh no. Bigby…" Beauty walked up to us and looked at the pictures. "This kind of stalking…it doesn't just stop by itself. Trust me, I know about this, first-hand. He'll keep trying to get closer and closer."

"His stand-in for Snow is gone now, so…"

"The next step closer…" I took out the last picture and gasped.

"Motherfucker!" I said loudly and gave the picture to Bigby shakily. He took it and he looked as shocked as I. We turned to look towards the bed but looked down at the picture again.

"It's Crane." Bigby said.


	7. A Crooked Mile Part 1

Bigby was still staring at the picture of Ichabod and the fake Snow while Beauty and I waited outside the room. Bigby was pissed off going by the tenseness of his shoulders. Beauty glanced at me and I gave her a concerned look. We were both just waiting for him to burst.

It was all we could do without getting him even more worked up.

"That fucking creep." Bigby said as he turned around and walked out the room, passed Beauty and me. "Spineless little fuckin' rat!" Bigby growled. We followed him and just by Bigby's outburst, Beauty did the same.

"Crane! Ugh! God, you think you know a person. Bigby, you have to tell her." Beauty said.

"I know!" Bigby snapped. I just kept silent, not really knowing how to feel about this. Of course I feel disgusted by this little motherfucker but the way Bigby acts when Snow is in danger or threatened…it just made me feel like I didn't belong here.

Which I don't…at all. But I had some strange pull towards here. I felt like I had to stay here. Stay near Bigby.

Talk about being fucked up in the mind.

Loving a supernatural? Sam, Dean and I have proved many times already that shit like that doesn't work out. We couldn't even get a strong and stable relationship with a human.

"What's going on?" I heard Beast say as we went down the stairs. "What did you find up there?" Bigby stormed through the room to get to the payphone hanging in the lobby. "You know, other than the…"

"Crane's the killer." Bigby snapped as he looked over his shoulder at Beast.

"What? Ichabod Crane? How do you know?" Beast asked. He was just as surprised as we are. I noticed that the phone couldn't work. Cable was cut through. Bigby took the phone away from his ear and looked at it.

"Shit!" Bigby growled.

"Crane's been-"

"Argh!" Bigby threw the phone down in his frustration.

"Whoa! Bigby, calm down." Beauty said. Bigby began pacing in front of us. His hands were placed on his hips and he had his teeth bared. "Everything's going to be fine, okay, it's gonna be fine." Beauty said, trying to calm the angry man.

"Will someone please explain this to me?" Beast yelled.

"Crane has been stalking Snow White." Beauty said.

"That perverted little fucker might be after Snow. I need to find her right now." Bigby said.

"Bigby, calm down." Hs tense shoulders relaxed for a second before tensing back up.

"Don't tell me what to do." He growled at me, trying to scare me off.

"Just calm the fuck down! We'll take my car and go find her!" I yelled at him. He looked a little surprised but kept his glare on me. "Where did she say she would go?" I ask, a little gentler now.

"She took Holly to the Business Office…to prepare for the funeral." Bigby said as he walked past us.

"Lily's funeral?"

"Yeah."

"How do you-" Beauty looked at Beast as he interrupted her.

"I was just at the Trip Trap, and I heard Gren telling some folks about a funeral at the Buckingham Bridge-"

"The Trip Trap? Are you drinking-"

"Can you stop!" I snapped at the couple.

"When?" Bigby asked.

"Right now. They were on their way out." Beast said. Bigby and I started moving away towards the door.

"Mr. Wolf, Miss Lexy." I turned to look at a man. He was lean and bald, had a black moustache and his teeth were yellow.

"Sorry, but we don't have time right now." I said and turned to leave.

"I think you will make time." I Turned back around and looked at the man. He blinked and his dark blue eyes turned a demon black.

"Oh my god." Beauty gasped.

"Shit." I whispered under my breath. "Stay behind me." I said. I took my angel blade and glared at the demon. "Alright, you bitch. What do you want?"

"You, dead at my feet." The demon said.

"We'll see about that." I smirked and pulled out my Angel Blade. He ran at me and I dodged while slicing his right side. The demon screamed and turned around to glare at me. I made a motion with my hand for him to come forward. He charged again and this time I threw my angel blade. The Blade hit him right in the centre of his chest. The demon made a choking sound before dropping to the ground.

"You, dead at my feet." I said while staring at the body that the demon had possessed. I walked up to the dead man and took my Angel Blade out. "See you in Hell." I put the Angel blade back in my boot before looking up at the Fables. They stared at me with wide eyes.

"W-what was that?!" Beauty shouted. I opened my mouth to explain but was interrupted by Bigby.

"No time to explain." Bigby said and headed to the door. I shrugged and followed him out.

"Bigby! Lexy!" Beauty yelled after us but we ignored her. We started walking to my car, while I stole glances at him. He seemed mad but in some way also handsome.

"Wait!" Beauty said. We stopped walking and I turned to her. Bigby stood still before also turning to her.

"What?" He snapped.

"Snow's…Snow's been through a lot. There are things she doesn't talk about. Just…please be careful…when you tell her. And you should tell her, but…"

"I know." Bigby growled again but directed his eye to the ground, not wanting to meet Beauty's stare.

"No, you don't know." Beauty snapped. "You know how you felt when you saw that picture? Well, it's going to be much worse for her. Just remember that." He looked at her before walking away without an answer.

"I'll watch him, don't worry." I said to her before catching up with Bigby. When we reached my car he opened the passenger door and closed it harshly. I grumbled at how he treated my car but now wasn't the right time to talk about my car. I wanted to say something to him but resisted the urge to do so. I wanted him to calm down, to smile, even a small grin would do. Just…everything but this angry murderous look on his face.

"If you want to talk about it…anything. You can tell me. I'll listen." I said keeping my eyes on the road. After a few moments of silence Bigby spoke up.

"Just don't go running off on your own." I glanced at him but he had his face turned away from me.

"Sure, pup. It's not like I have anything better to do than follow the mother hen." I said trying to at least give him a small smile. A ghost of a smile lightened his face, making me smile in satisfaction. I looked back at the road, my face neutral but inside me I was going crazy. One time he seemed so concerned and taken by Snow and then suddenly he would be so…gentleman like and caring towards me. It gave me mixed signals all around. I know he asked me for dinner but that could just be a partner or friendship thing.

I really need to stop thinking about him.

"We're here." He said as he sat upright. Again with the mixed signals. I parked my car and we both stepped out. "Follow me." Bigby said. I followed him towards the funeral. When we walked through the fence we were faced with candles placed on cinderblock and other places. We walked through the pathway that was decorated with candles. We stopped however when we saw Snow at the front talking while other people were seated in front of her. Suddenly she looked up at us angrily and shook her head before going back to talking.

"We should scout around for a bit." I said. Bigby nodded, letting Snow talk and going to investigate the area. I glanced over my shoulder at a guy sitting away from everyone. My eyes widened and I nudged Bigby. He looked at me and I pointed at the guy. We walked over to him.

"So you're alive." I said with a small smile.

"Yeah." He answered me.

"Your highness…" Bigby said with a smirk as I did a plié.

"Sherif, Miss…"

"Lexy." I said to Lawrence.

"I'm sorry, I, uh…I didn't see you there." He said to us.

"Did you know the deceased? Lily?" Bigby asked.

"Oh, um, no. Not really. I just came because it…I don't know. It just felt like a thing I should do, I guess." I smiled at him sadly. I guess he was just searching closure. Doesn't matter how.

"I was angry, at first…when I heard that Lily was getting a funeral. That Holly was getting…'closure.' I wanted that, too. And I wanted it for Faith. But, then I remembered…Faith lived a story Lily never did. She had her adventure, she got to live in the light of 'forever after' with me…for a while. So let Lily have the better finish. It all evens out in the end." Lawrence said.

"That's very nice of you, Lawrence." I said, giving him a smile. He gave me a little smile before turning back to being sad. I looked him over. He was skinny like before but his skin had more colour. His eyes were still puffy and red. Probably tired and from crying.

"None of this was your fault, Lawrence." Bigby said.

"It wasn't my fault, but…I didn't stop it. Take care of things. Okay?" Lawrence said as he looked between us.

" We'll find the killer. Don't you worry about it." I said. He nodded and looked back down.

"Bigby, Lexy, is everything okay?" Snow said. Her usual attire was replaced by a red blouse, a black blazer and black skirt. Holly turned to look at us angrily. She stood up and faced us.

"No, not you." She glared at Bigby as she walked up to us.

"Holly-"

"He wasn't fucking invited." She glanced at me but turned her glare back at Bigby.

"Holly wait." Snow said, trying to calm Holly down.

"He has no right to be here. Not after what he did. You…" She looked at me. "You could stay if he didn't follow you everywhere you go." She snapped.

"He doesn't follow me everywhere I go. I'm just helping him out." I mumbled. I didn't want to make a fight but I was not letting her picture him as my lapdog. "What did he do anyway?" I asked confused.

"Holly, I'm sorry, but I had to come." Bigby said.

"You throw my sister down the Witching Well…and you have the nerve to show your face here? After you lie…after you promise me?" Holly said

"Bigby?" I said as I looked up at him in shock. He frowned down at me before looking at Holly.

"Holly, wait, that was Crane, just Crane. He'd…disposed of Lily's body before Bigby or Lexy could do anything about it." Snow said. Holly looked away from her back at Bigby. "I'm telling you the truth." Snow almost yelled at Holly.

"Don't cover for him." Holly snapped at Snow.

"But this genuinely wasn't his fault." Snow said.

"You can't tell me Bigby gives a shit about this." Holly responded while looking at Bigby with a fierce glare. I looked at the girl that came up from behind Holly and Snow. She had short blonde hair and a purple dress on. A purple belt loosely hanging around her waist. She also had a purple ribbon around her neck.

"Holly, it's gonna be okay." The purple dressed woman said.

"I'm sorry, Holly. I didn't know he put her down the Witching Well." Bigby said, regret showing on his face and in his voice.

"Please, Holly." She looked at me. "He might be an asshole at times but he really didn't do that. The guy actually cares." I said. She looked at me for a while until Snow started speaking.

"Bigby cares, Holly. He's trying to help." She said to Holly before glaring at us. "And I'm sure they have a very good reason for being here." She almost snapped. I narrowed my eyes as she glared at me, daring her to provoke me into hitting her.

Oh, how I would love doing that.

"But this one isn't on him or Lexy." Snow said in a soft voice as she turned back to Holly who looked at us with wide eyes. She turned her eyes towards the ground when she met my eyes.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Gren said as he stood up from where he was seated. "And don't say it's cause you care about this."

"Everything okay?" Snow asked in concern.

"I think I know who murdered your sister." Bigby said. Holly looked at him with surprise.

"Who?" She asked.

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else?"

"What?!" Holly and I said. I can't believe Snow actually wants to keep this from Holly.

"No! I deserve to know! We all deserve to know!" Holly said as Lawrence walked up to us.

"I know, I know, but-"

"White! Shut the fuck up!" I snapped. She looked at me in shock. "They deserve to know! Wouldn't you want to know if you were in their place?!" Snow stayed silent. "Right, so if you would be so fucking nice, shut your cake hole." I said. Bigby had an eyebrow lifted as he looked at me from the corners of his eyes.

"If anyone should be told, it's me, it's us. Right now. So talk." Holly said and nodded at me. I nodded back and looked up at Bigby.

"Yeah. Who was it?" Gren asked us.

"We think it was Ichabod Crane." Bigby said. They were shocked to say the least.

"What?!" Snow said.

"Crane?"

"Crane." Holly said in a low voice while looking at the ground angrily.

"Okay, everyone, just stop. Bigby and I-" I coughed. "and Lexy…" I grinned mentally at her irritation. "...are going to have a little chat while everyone else gets back to the funeral." Snow said as she stood in front of us. Holly didn't agree with Snow at all.

"What? He says that fucking Crane murdered Lily and you expect me to-"

"Please. I promise I will tell you what the Hell is going on just as soon as I know there's something to tell, but…just let us do our jobs, first." Snow said. I rolled my eyes at her but didn't say anything. Holly only crossed her arms and glared at Snow. "Look, Holly, I know how this must-"

"No. You don't 'know' how this 'must feel.' You have no idea." Holly snapped at Snow. "Don't fuck anything up. Don't bother anybody." Holly walked closer to Bigby. "And when the first sign of trouble comes – and it will come, because you're a goddamn walking trap for it – I want you the fuck out of here. You hear me?"

"Of course. You won't even know I'm here." Bigby said.

"Let's just continue, okay?" the purple dressed girl said.

"This is such total fucking bullshit." I looked at Holly in regret. The poor woman…

"Holly…If you want a listening ear…I'm up for the job." I said and gave her a smile. She gave me a little smile but that soon faded into a sad grimace.

"Let's go, Holly." Another girl said. She had some kind of flower in her hair.

"It's your turn to talk." The purple dressed girl said as they turned back to the funeral. Bigby and Snow walked away while I just glanced at Gren and Lawrence.

"Don't worry…Bigby knows what he's doing." I said and gave them both a sad smile. Gren didn't return it but did move back to his seat. Lawrence gave me a small smile and nodded a little. I could see he was a great guy. If the times were any different I would want to be friends with him. I turned to walk away and when I was out of earshot I bit my lip and looked up.

"I hope he knows what he's doing." I said silently.

"This is someone I've worked with for decades. This is a guy…he gets the frickin' shakes when he has to order food."

"Don't judge a book by its cover." I said as I stood with Bigby and Snow.

"I mean, what are you telling me? It's all an act? Just what have you found?" I glared at her as she ignored me.

"Lily was Crane's prostitute. We followed a lead to this shit hole motel. The Open Arms. Crane had a room there, and he's been taking prostitutes…or, at the very least Lily…and making her look like you while he was…you know." Bigby said uncomfortably. I don't think that was the best idea to tell her but oh well.

"This…is…" Snow turned away from us in shock.

"I don't even know what to say right now…I really don't. I'm just trying everything I can right now…to not picture it. To not picture him." She said.

"We should go." Bigby said.

"You're sure this is what happened? This is what he's been doing? Because, please, Bigby…don't confuse things." Snow said as she turned back to look at us. "Deposing Crane would be the next step. And if we get this wrong…it would mean more than our jobs. We'd get kicked out of Fabletown for messing all of this up so badly."

"Crane has been taking photos, Snow. Lots of photos." Bigby said.

"Photos that show him…?" Snow trailed off.

"He's been…recording his 'visits' with Lily." Bigby told her. Snow looked down in disgust and shock.

"Look, let's go back to the Business Office. I doubt Crane's there at this hour, but…we need to talk and this isn't the place." Snow said.

"Snow?" We turned to look at the girl with a flower in her hair.

"Nerissa. What is it?"

"I'm sorry, but Holly's asking for you." Nerissa said.

"Are they starting the burn." Snow asked.

"Yes. Everyone who spoke should really be present for this part…She's kind of distraught. You're not leaving yet, are you?" Nerissa said. Snow looked up at Bigby with a blank look.

"Two minutes? I don't mean to be, um…"

"No, I understand." Nerissa told Snow.

"It's just that something's coming up." Snow said.

"No, I get it. Take your time." Yes please, take your time. I don't like her. She's just too…formal and by the book. It wasn't really my style. Snow walked away after telling us that she wouldn't take long. Nerissa however didn't follow Snow.

"How'd it go? At the motel? Did you find anything." Nerissa asked Bigby, sparing me a glance.

"I, uh, we did. It helped a lot. Thanks." Bigby said. Of course he wasn't going to tell he what we found. He gave her a half smile but Nerissa looked away from him.

"Nerissa!" The woman dressed in purple shouted.

"Yeah, um…coming!" Nerissa said and walked away from us. We watched her walk away until I silently gasped. I felt something poking my back.

"Constable." Bigby turned his head to look over his shoulder. I looked too and saw Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Both were holding a shotgun and had them pointed at Bigby and mine's backs. I was about to turn together with Bigby but the two poked our backs with their shotguns.

"Wait, wait, wait, easy now, girls. You know how this goes. The first thing in a visit? You say 'How do ya do?'" One of the twins said.

"How do you do?" the other twin said.

"That way, it's proper." Jeez, which is Dee and which is Dum?!

"Fuck you." I hissed at them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you should keep your girl under control. If you don't, we will."

"Don't even think about touching her." Bigby lowly growled.

"Oh, someone has a thing for the hunter." The one holding his shotgun on me said. My eyes widened and me and Bigby exchanged a glance.

"It's okay, Bigby. I can take them." I said silently.

"Now is really not the time for whatever you jag-offs are planning to do." Bigby said.

"Well isn't that the thing of it? Plans." Said who I believe to be Tweedledee.

"Except it isn't our plans you should be concernin' yourself with." Dum said, holding his shotgun at Bigby's back.

"I'm still hurtin', you know, from our 'talk' in the cell. And I'll be honest, I'd love nothin' more than to carve a sweet poem right into your face for the sufferin' you've caused me…or I could take this nice girl with us." Dee said. I felt his chubby large hand on the side of my neck.

"Hands off jackass." I said while Bigby growled. Dee took his hand away but kept his shotgun pointed at my back.

"But I am a professional, and we're here for a job. We'll snip to the chase, for all's sakes. A little bird told us that you two are fittin' to go after Crane. And you see, we have an interest in that particular boy." Dee said.

"So you two leave Crane alone, and we'll leave you alone." Dum said.

"Just take a little vacation, is all." Dee said.

"Don't even have to go anywhere." Dum said.

"Just sit in your office and whistle to Heaven for a few short days." Dee said and then gave me a little push in the back with his shotgun. "Maybe have some fun with girlie over here." I glanced to the side with an irritated look. I was wondering if they were just like in the movies. Some stupid assholes who constantly argued about something.

"Perverts. I wonder who is the smartest of you two." I grunted.

"That's not important girlie." Dee said. Well, shit. I hoped they would start arguing and I could make a move to take Dee's shotgun. But Dum could easily point his to me.

"You're trying to pull this shit at a funeral? We can deal with this later." Bigby said silently.

"No, not later." Dee said.

"Later's too late." Dum finished.

"Shit." I said when Holly looked our way. She turned angry when she looked behind us at Dum and Dee.

"So what's it gonna be? We have a deal? You leave Crane alone and we leave you to yours?" Dee said. I stiffened when Holly walked up to us.

"Brother…" Dum said.

"Speak your minds. Fastly now." Dee snapped.

"Just don't hurt anyone, Dee." Bigby said.

"That don't sound like a yes to me." Dum said.

"Always wanting to do things the fun way…" Dee hissed in my ear. I pulled up my nose in disgust. He stood way too close for my liking. "Ladies! Gentlemen! Invertebrates! Please! Rest easy, this is not-" Dee pulled his gun away from my back when he started talking. He was however interrupted by Gren.

"What the Hell is going on?" Gren said.

"What's happening?" Snow said, making me roll her eyes. Well, they're holding shotguns at us. If you're smart you know what's happening.

"Very sorry to impose, but we only had a deal to work out with Bigby and his girl." Dee said.

"Stop calling me his girl." I grumbled under my breath. I did feel a little satisficed by Snow's pissed off look towards me.

"And we're unhappy to report that things did not go as smoothly as planned." Dee continued, ignoring my comment.

"Bigby, what is he talking about?" Snow asked in a threatening tone.

"Never you mind that, it ain't any of your-"

"What deal?!" Gren interrupted Dum angrily.

"Settle down, settle down now." Dee said.

"Yeah, everyone just stay where you are, nice and natural. Like we're just out havin' a Spring picnic." Dum said.

"Stop this shit. Right. Now." Bigby said as he walked away from them. When I wanted to move towards him, Dum pointed his shotgun to my back. My eyes widened a little in panic but soon calmed down and rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I wouldn't do that." Dee said as Bigby went to charge at them. "He hasn't exactly been a good sport about this."

"Not makin' our lives any easier. Or for the pretty lady. Ain't it sweetheart?" They pushed me a little.

"Bite me!" I snapped. Suddenly Holly growled and she turned into her troll form. While Dum and Dee were distracted I went to stand next to Bigby.

"What did I tell you? What did I say?" she said.

"Holly…" This time I walked to her together with Bigby. Suddenly the white monster that had his arm ripped off by Bigby came up as well. I guess he was Gren.

"You think you mother fuckers can come here uninvited? You think you can just fuckin' interrupt Lily's funeral?!" Gren said.

"Calm down, darling. It was just a simple business transaction." Dee said. They weren't pointing their shotguns at us anymore but at Holly and Gren.

"You fuckin' freaks are not getting away with this!" Holly said.

"Holly! Don't move!" Snow shouted in panic.

"Yeah, listen to your lady, love." Dee said to Holly.

"Things don't have to turn sloppy now." Shit, are they trying to piss her off?

"Holly, let me handle this." Bigby said.

Yes, let's spare all the fuss. It's just a dead whore." Well shit's going down now.

"I'm going to kill you!" Gren yelled. Holly roared and charged at Dee but got shot. She fell down and behind Bigby, Dum was charging at Gren. However Gren slapped the shotgun out of his hands causing Dum to fall on his back. With this advantage Gren jumped on top of Dum.

"I got it, Dum!" My head turned to Dee and I immediately took action. I took his gun and used my strength to push him backwards. When Dee's back hit something metal I used his gun that we were both holding to slam in his face. His grip loosened and I took his gun and threw it to the side. I was about to grip Dee by his colour but he punched me in the stomach. I grunted and stepped back. Bigby however immediately took my place. I turned and charged at Dum I took his gun too but he managed to shoot at me. I hissed and stepped back, letting go of the gun and gripping my arm. I heard another shot and a grunt.

"Bigby!" I said in shock as he laid on the ground. I ran to him and helped him sit up. I barely gave any attention to Snow who ran past us to Holly. Bigby and I looked at Holly who didn't move at all.

"Shit, your bleeding." I looked down at Bigby before glancing at my arm. It hurt but I've gone through worse.

"I don't have a bullet in my shoulder so stop worrying about me." I said to him.

"I heal faster." I huffed at his reaction.

"Stop arguing with me." A few hours later we were all sitting at the Business Office. I was trying my best not to stare at Bigby. Well, could you blame me if I did? I mean, those abs! I looked down at Abbie who pawed my leg. She gave me a 'Really?' kind of look. I frowned and shrugged at her. I sighed as I stood up and stretched my back. I was only wearing a black top and dark skinny jeans. I was still holding a cloth to my wound.

"I did as well as I could to take out the buckshot, but there's still some shards left embedded in your shoulder. They'll eventually worm their way out on their own, but…until they do, you're gonna be sore." The doctor said. However, Bigby didn't seem the least bit interested. He was concentrated on Bufkin who was trying to put the mirror back together. His concentration was taken away when Snow started speaking.

"Bigby, Dr. Swineheart was appointed Fabletown physician for a reason." Snow said.

"It's okay, there's only one thing you have to take away from all this: take it easy." The doctor said. Bigby stood up straight. He grunted and popped his shoulder. His eyes landed on me.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I'm fine Bigby." I smiled at him and he nodded letting out a breath. Those damned mixed signals.

"Is she?" Bigby asked the doctor.

"She is, Bigby. It's just a flesh wound." Swineheart said with a smile. "Don't go looking for any more fights. Keep strain off your heart. And try to get some rest."

"How's everyone else? They all make it?" Bigby asked. Bigby obviously cared more than he let on.

"They're fine." Swineheart said. "I had everyone that got wounded sent home. Holly refused to let me see where she lived, so I left her and Grendel back at her bar with a dose of juniper and spring water." With this explanation Bigby still looked concerned. "They're titans, Bigby. They'll be fine. Just remember what I said. The stitches won't hold up if you continue to act…like you normally do." I shook my head at this. Why did they all want him to be someone he clearly isn't?! "Everything in moderation. And, uh, eat more chicken. Your blood pressure's through the proverbial roof."

"I'll try to." Bigby said with a smile. I couldn't help but smile as well.

"Alright then. Very good." The doctor said. The phone went off and Snow took it. "Miss Singer, make sure he heals up well." I spluttered a little at this.

"Why me?"

"Cause he surprisingly seems to listen to you." The doctor said. I glanced up at Bigby who was looking down at me with his big brown puppy eyes. I couldn't help but let my eyes drift down to his chest. I cleared my throat and looked away from him.

"Yea, sure, whatever." I said as I grumbled at the blush on my face..

"The town is starting to find out." Snow said as she put down the phone.

"Well, I'll leave you three to it, then. Miss White. Miss Singer. Bigby." Doctor Swineheart nodded at us and walked out of the business office. Snow walked up to us and I saw her glance at Bigby's bare chest. I bit my lip so I wouldn't make a sassy comment.

"So…to recap…" Snow said, trying to break the awkward silence. Bigby went to put on his shirt while he talked.

"Crane watched us through the Magic Mirror uncover his room at the Open Arms. Then he smashed it so we couldn't use it ourselves to go after him. And we know this because Bufkin was drinking in the rafters. That about cover it?" I smirked at his tone.

"Once he puts all the pieces back together…It'll be easy to catch Crane. So…I guess that's the plan. Currently." As Snow said this, Bigby walked up to us, adjusting his tie that hung loosely around his collar. "But I don't know…"

"We don't have time to wait for the mirror. Crane could be getting on a train right now." This sat Snow off as she glared at him.

"Well, I don't want to just go running off into the night without some direction." Snow said.

"Then don't go." I snapped. She looked at me with an angry glare but I wasn't affected by it. "What? His plan is reasonable. We should 'go running off into the night' as you say it."

"You don't have anything to say here, Lexy." She said. I nodded at her and looked away before smirking at her.

"Sure, but who has the most experience in this shit? You or Bigby and me?" She didn't answer after that. Bigby was just awkwardly standing at the side, watching us.

"I just…what the Hell is going on?" Snow said. "Just… don't know what the Tweedles get out of this. I-I don't know if Crane sent them, I don't know if…" She stopped for a second when Bigby glanced at her from his place, leaning against the table. "I mean, this is gonna sound crazy, but… Do you really think Crane did it? Everything points to him, I get it, but…Do you really think he killed those women? Because it's just...It's incomprehensible to me."

"From what we saw at the Open Arms it can't be anyone else but Crane." I said.

"What isn't adding up for me is Faith. Why would he kill her? It doesn't seem connected." Bigby said.

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense. He's…he was a conniver, a…a coward, a liar. And I'll always hate him for that. And I'll hate him for how he…held me in his thoughts. But murdering prostitutes…" Snow said. We heard Bufkin yelp, causing Snow to look at him. "Everything okay over there?"

"Yes, Miss White! Just cut myself on a piece of the glass. Nothing to worry about!" Bufkin called back

"Thanks for tonight, by the way." Snow said. That could have gone really terribly…I mean, even worse than it did. I'm glad you were there." She obviously only meant Bigby.

"You're welcome." I said with a sarcastic tone. Bigby put his large hand on my shoulder to calm me down. And it worked. He gave me a reassuring smile before turning back to Snow.

"I just feel bad for Holly, really." Bigby said.

"Yeah." Snow said while looking at the ground. "Time heals everything, eventually. At least, I hope so…for her sake. Can I, uh, ask you two a question? It's kind of personal." Snow asked as she stepped closer to Bigby but gave me a questioning glance. I didn't know why I should listen to her but I had nothing to do anyway. I was surprised when Abbie put her snout on Bigby's hand. He smiled and petted her head for a second before turning back to Snow. Now it was me who gave her the 'Really?' look. Abbie just tilted her head to the side. "And I don't want to offend you. But after tonight…it's on my mind."

"Why? What's on your mind?" Bigby asked.

"It's just…when stuff hits the fan…like-like it did tonight…It feels like before we came to the city. It feels kind of like home. And I've heard it said…that maybe…in some tiny little, bottled up way, deep inside…you kind of enjoy it…when things go wrong. Because it just gives you an excuse to…just, you know…"

"Fuck no, I don't enjoy it! Are you kidding me?" Bigby yelled angrily. I was barely controlling my temper. "It's horrible what happened tonight, I wish it didn't happen!" Snow glanced at me and I narrowed my eyes at her. Abbie who was standing between Bigby and I was growling.

"Do I look like Dr. Phil to you? When shit hits the fan your supposed to be fucked up about it! Not enjoy it!" I snapped.

"I shouldn't have said anything. Forget that I did." Bigby's angry look softened a little while I just kept glaring.

"Uh, hey guys? We have a problem…" Bufkin said. We walked over to him. "I can't finish the mirror. It's missing a piece."

"What do you mean…missing a piece?" Snow asked with a snap in her voice.

"Crane must have taken a shard with him." Bigby growled.

"I can't believe this." Snow sighed in frustration.

"I saw Crane pick something up after he smashed it. I'm sorry…I didn't realize what it was until now." Bufkin said.

"The mirror can't work unless it's whole." Snow said.

"Well, that's not entirely true." Bufkin said with a smile.

"Or what, Bufkin? What? We sit around wait until it mends itself? We have no idea how long that will take. We're just gonna have to do this the hard way." Snow said.

"Calm down already, will ye. He's just trying to help." I snapped at her.

"Waiting is an option…" Bufkin said.

"Alright, how long will it take for the mirror to reform?" Bigby asked calmly.

"It could take days-"

"Or months. Or years." Snow snapped. "He had to have left something that tells us where he's going. He's a neat freak but he was never that smart."

"Smart enough to take a piece of the mirror." Bufkin said. I snorted and smiled at Bufkin. Snow glared at us over her shoulder. "We could still solve this ourselves… I know that it-"

"Nevermind that, come help me look." Snow said.

"Bitch." I mumbled.

"What did you say?" Snow snapped at me.

"I said 'bitch'." I gave her a sweet smile.

"Why you-"

"Alright, stop it." Bigby glared at me but I glared straight back.

"You're just going to let her treat you as her personal mutt?" I asked.

"She doesn't-" Bigby sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Just, please, stop arguing." When Snow was out of earshot I looked up at him with an angry look.

"I'm starting to think that you actually like being her lapdog." I whispered to him.

"I'm not her lapdog, Lexy. She's my boss, I need to listen to her or I'll lose my job." Bigby said. I looked away from him with my arms crossed. "Hey," His hand took my chin and lifted it so I looked in his brown eyes. "You gonna help me?" He asked with a smile. I hesitated before nodding.

"It's not fair you know." Bigby gave me a questioning look. "Using the puppy dog look." I glared at him as he laughed at me.

Let's start with Bufkin." Bigby said. I nodded in agreement and we went to the green ape with wings who was still standing in front of the mirror.

"Hi, Mr Bigby, Miss Singer…I can still help you catch Crane, you know…" Bufkin said.

"Oh yeah?" Bigby said.

"Yes! I saw him jump on the telephone before he left. He called up somebody. He said he needed to see 'his witch', or that he would need to get to 'the witch for that'…whoever that is." Bufkin said.

"Witches? Really?" I sighed annoyed and looked away.

"His witch?" Bigby said.

"Yes, it sounded like the one he got his 'Snow' glamours from." Bufkin said and Bigby hummed.

"Did you see anything else?" I ask Bufkin.

"No, not, uh, not especially." Bufkin said.

"Look…the whole mirror thing. It's not your fault, alright?" Bigby said. I glanced at him and smiled a little. He cares more than he lets on.

"You mean it?" Bufkin said as he looked up at us.

"Yeah." Bigby said, his gruff voice soft and caring. Bufkin smiled up at him while Bigby just gave him a soft look.

"I'll just…see if I can do anything about this." Bufkin said.

"You do that." Bigby said.

"Talk to you later, Bufkin." I said before turning to Bigby. "What now?" Bigby gave me a glance before walking up to Snow.

"Bufkin says that he overheard Crane call somebody before he left. It sounds like he's going to see witch, or… 'his witch.' His glamour witch." I zoned out of the conversation and looked at Abby. She looked up at me with worried eyes. I sighed and bent through my knees to hug her. Castiel's word kept ringing in my head.

_"__What do you think you're doing, Lexy." He asked._

_"__Uh, I don't understand. Why are you so-"_

_"__Those people. There are bigger things to do than this. Like helping with finding Raphael." Castiel interrupted me. I looked at him in surprise._

The more I think about it, the more I start to agree with Castiel. My job is to protect the humans and kill everything that tries to hurt them. Helping the supernatural creatures isn't one of the jobs of a hunter.

I glanced up at them talking.

I should be hunting them…

"Lex." I snapped out my thoughts when Bigby's concerned brown eyes looked in my green ones. "You okay?" Bigby asked. I nodded and stood up. I walked up to him and looked down at the letters on the desk. Bigby took the first letter send by Weyland Smith. When he was done reading we read the other. One from Boy Blue and from Mr. Toad. I chuckled as I read the last sentence on the letter.

'GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!'

"Did Crane ever do any work?" Bigby asked.

"Only when Cole was around." Snow answered. Bigby tried the drawer but it was locked…so he forced it open after a nod from Snow. He smiled up at her proudly and she smiled back. I suddenly felt useless really. What was I doing here anyway? I felt like…like…

A lapdog.

I looked to the side only to have my eyes land on a key. I reach out for it and took it out of the inbox.

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"It's a key to one of the rooms at the Open Arms." I said. Snow looked at Bigby with her arms crossed and a frown.

"You still haven't told me what was in there…I want to know. I _need_ to know." Snow said.

"You really don't-"

"A lot of blood and flowers." Bigby interrupted me. I bit my tongue to prevent myself of snapping at them. Jeez, I need to stop feeling like this.

Whatever this is.

"I keep thinking back… I keep…replaying moments in my head, interactions with him, when he'd catch me in the elevator, or…bump into me outside. There's only so much you can repress, you know?" Snow said. Both were completely ignoring me.

"Snow…you couldn't have known." Bigby said.

"No. I could've." Snow said. I wanted to ask her how she could know but let it slide. "C'mon, let's keep looking." Bigby looked at her for a second longer before taking the book out of the drawer. He put it on the table and looked through it until he stopped at a page that seemed to be ripped out.

"There's a page here that was torn out." Bigby said.

"No shit Sherlock." I muttered under my breath. I saw him give me a surprised glance but shrugged it off.

"Bufkin? Do you know what was here?" Snow asked. Bufkin flew over my head and landed on the inbox next to me.

"It's a ring, at least. Every magical item not retained in the armory is assigned to someone in Fabletown. It must be this witch he's going to see…" Bufkin said.

"Yeah, I only recently heard about this meeting. Why didn't you mention this before?" Snow snapped.

"No one asked me." Bufkin said. I snorted while Bigby glared at him.

"Bufkin!" Snow said obviously frustrated.

"And I'm hangover, I'm sorry." Bufkin said, making me laugh.

"You know what? You're awesome." I said with a grin.

"Lexy! Don't encourage him!" Snow snapped.

"You're not my boss. I don't take orders from anyone." I snapped right back.

"He set the meeting at 2 AM. Tonight." Bufkin said. I jumped a little when the sound of a door echoed through the room.

"What's going on? Is the mirror fixed yet?" A bald man with a beard, glasses and golden earrings walked up to us. Bluebeard. That guy that was punching Dee over and over again.

"Bluebeard, this isn't the time." Snow said as we met him halfway in the room.

"Is the mirror fixed or isn't it? You called me to-"

"I called just to see if you knew where Crane could be, and that was it, okay? And I'm sorry I said anything more than that." Snow snapped.

"Well, you did, and I know. The cat's out of the bag. So…can we find the dull pervert or not?" Bluebeard said.

"Wow, he's actually worse than you." I said with an amused smile. Bluebeard looked at me and glared before looking at Snow and Bigby.

"What is a Mundy doing here." He hissed. I rolled my eyes and stood up straight.

"Alright buddy, calm your tits. I know everything. I'm Lexy Singer-"

"Singer? Bobby Singer's daughter?" Bluebeard interrupted. I smiled at him.

"You know Bobby?"

"Yeah." I nodded and gave him a bright smile. "He was called the town dunk." My smile faded and I took a step back.

"Yeah, that sounds like him." I said.

"No. The mirror can't be fixed. It's missing a piece." Bigby said.

"This is none of Bluebeard's business, Bigby." Snow snapped at Bigby. I looked down at Abby who also looked at me with the same look as I was giving. I swear this dog has to be a fable or something. Maybe a shapeshifter?

"None of my business? Crane's the murderer, he escaped, it seems he's foiled your every attempt at locating him, and now it's none of my business?" Bluebeard said offended.

"We don't know if he's the murderer." Snow said, a glare still plastered on her face. She's going to have wrinkles if she keeps frowning like that.

"Oh, please, of course he is." Bluebeard said as if it was a matter of fact.

"Look, this just isn't the time. He took a piece of the mirror, so we can't use it." Snow said.

"The only thing we know is that Crane's going to see a witch at two o'clock." Bufkin said. Well, we didn't know that yet. Snow, Bigby and I glared at Bufkin.

"AM or PM." Bluebeard asked. Bufkin looked at Snow before guiltily looking down.

"AM." He said.

"Listen, Bluebeard, you're not a part of this." Snow said as Bigby and I kept looking at Bufkin for a little longer.

"I don't think you're in any position to turn away help." Bluebeard answered. He's right. We need all the help we can get. But this guy seemed to be giving off trouble more than help.

"Why do you even care about this?" Bigby asked.

"Ah, finally a good question." I said while smiling.

"Why? I'm invested in this enterprise we call Fabletown." Bluebeard said, making Snow huff. "Literally invested, since it's mostly my money that keeps the whole thing running."

"Ah, so you're the snobby rich dude." I said. Bluebeard glared at me making me hold up my hands defensively.

"And tonight I hear that Crane has been killing Fables? And there's no system in place to catch him?" Bigby and I glared at him as he looked at us when he said this.

"Look, we know that Crane is going to see a witch, and it's to acquire a magic ring." Snow said as she walked back to the book.

"What's the ring?" Bluebeard asked.

"We don't know what it does or who it's assigned to since Crane tore its page out of the book." Snow snapped.

"This farce was your ridiculous idea for a plan. I mean, who put you in charge in the first place?" Bluebeard said.

"Fixing the mirror was the most logical thing!" Snow raised her voice.

"You're a secretary, he's the Sherrif and none of you were chosen to run this office." Bluebeard said.

"And I'm being forgotten." I said while pouting.

"You're just a mundane." Bluebeard snapped.

"Watch it, Baldy!" I hissed and went to slap him but Bigby stopped me with putting a hand on my waist.

"Who elected you to make these decisions?" Baldy said.

"Nobody, but that doesn'-" Snow began but Baldy interrupted her.

"Who elected her to spend my money?" Bluebeard said as he looked at Bigby who just glared.

"Well, I've been doing that unofficially for years now." Snow said.

"'Unofficially' is not 'officially.'" Bluebeard said. I rolled my eyes and looked at Bigby.

"Are you gonna do something about this or do I need to break them apart?" I said to him.

"Snow can obviously handle this so let's drop it." Bigby said.

"Well then… excuse me for having the commonwealth in mind." Baldy said. Snow turned her back to us and walked a little away from us. She sighed and turned back to us.

"Alright, let's just look on the bright side. We know Crane is going to see the witch that's been supplying him black market glamours." Snow said.

"Thanks to me." Bufkin said with pride.

"…And that he'll be there at two. So that gives us…" Snow looked at her watch. "…A few short hours to find out who it is and where they live and get them all at once."

"And a few shorter hours the more you babble about it." Baldy said.

"Than what are we waiting for?" I said.

"2:00 AM. Piece of cake." Bigby said as he smiled at Snow and me. I smiled back and gave him a playful punch on his shoulder. I turned to look at Snow who was glaring at us.

"Since Lily used the glamours, she'd have known who the witch was…and I don't think Holly's burned her things yet. It would probably have the address or a phone number or something…" Snow said.

"And Bigby and his assistant-"

"I prefer partner over assistant." I said. I looked up at Bigby who looked at me. "Not the time?" He shook his head making me shrug.

"They are free to go there of they like, but I think the question you should be asking is just what do the two Tweedles know about this?" Baldy said.

"It doesn't matter what they know. After tonight, they'd never go to their office." Snow snapped.

"They're not smart enough to try and go anywhere else-" Baldy said but Snow interrupted him. Jesus, the sexual tension between those two. They need to get their sticks of their asses.

"The Trip Trap is the better option to track the witch down. That has to be our focus." Snow said.

"Can we decide that." I glared at Baldy and Snow.

"Even if they're not there…the Tweedles' office might have something on Crane or the witch." Bigby said.

"And we could split up and do both at the same time." I said.

"I don't really care what you three do, I'm going to his apartment." Baldy said and walked away from us.

"What? You can't just go up there." Snow said as she started to follow him.

"And why the Hell not?" Baldy stopped walking and turned to Snow.

"We already looked for the key, remember? I don't know where it is." Snow said.

"Then I'll pick the blasted lock!" Bluebeard yelled before sighing. "I've wasted enough time waiting for the mirror to find him. I won't waste anymore."

"You just can't go up there alone, alright?" Snow said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Bigby walked up next to her, letting go of my waist. He had held my waist all that time?

I'm fucked.

"I've no interest in nicking his draped, my dear, if that's what concerns you." Baldy said.

"What concerns me is you traipsing through possible evidence." Snow snapped.

"Oh, now it's evidence. Before you had no interest and now it's a crime scene!" Baldy said. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I could just feel the head ache coming up.

"Bluebeard, just stay out of it, alright? You'll just mess things up further." Bigby barked. Not barking like a dog. Which would actually be amusing if he did so.

"They can't get any more 'messed up.'" Baldy said.

"We have to find the witch, Bluebeard, since that's where he's going." Snow said.

"Or the snivelling weasel chickened out, never went anywhere, and is upstairs right now in his pitiful penthouse crafting a fort out of couch cushions! Look, this is how a smart person would do it, so this is how we're going to do it…wherever you go, I'll go to the other." Bluebeard said to Bigby.

"I don't like you going anywhere unsupervised." Snow said to Bluebeard before whispering something to Bigby. "Where ya gonna go Bigby?" Snow said after she was done whispering. Bigby walked away from them and next to me. We stared at each other for a moment before I gave him a smirk.

"Where first, pup?"


	8. A Crooked Mile Part 2

"Crane's place is right here. We should check it out first." Bigby said as he turned to me. I nodded at him before we turned to Snow and Bluebeard.

"Perfect. And I'll go to those two imbeciles' office." Bluebeard said.

"Crane's penthouse number is 1903. Let me know what you find. I hope you know what you're doing." Snow said before picking up the phone. We walked out the business office together but I stopped walking.

"Bigby, maybe I should go to Holly's place. If we split up we'll find our answer faster-"

"No." Bigby interrupted me. I was ready to leave but was held back by a hand grabbing my wrist and pulling me back. I looked up at Bigby with wide eyes.

"Wha-"

"They know you're working with me. They'll be hunting you down." His grip on my wrist became firmer. "I don't want anything happening to you. That's why you're staying by my side, okay?" We stared in each other's eyes for a moment until I nodded. His voice was firm, leaving no room for a discussion. I can't believe it… I watched his back as he started walking. He was still holding my wrist, pulling me with him to the elevator.

The Big Bad Wolf…concerned about a human girl.

When the elevator opened on the floor we had to be, he let go of my wrist. I took my wrist in my other hand, silently grumbling at the heat in my face. When we came to Crane's penthouse the door was open.

"Anyone in there?" Bigby said loudly getting no answer. "Why's the door open?"

"Let's just go in." I said and pushed the doors open.

"Crane?" Bigby called out. No answer was given. We walked further in the apartment. I stopped walking when I saw a head statue of Crane.

"Pompous bastard." I said. Anyway, Crane wasn't in here at all.

"Dammit, must've missed him." Bigby mumbled to himself. "There's gotta be something about his witch here."

"Well, let's look around." I said. While Bigby went to look at some books I turned around and glared at the place. The door was open. Someone must have broken in here.

"Hey, Lexy." I turned around as Bigby showed me a book.

"The joy of lovemaking." I said and gave Bigby an amused look.

"If I had to guess…this shit didn't work." He said and I let out a laugh. I walked up next to him and we looked at a picture.

"He looks really happy there." I said.

"Guess things have changed." Bigby said and I hummed in agreement. I turned around and saw some wine.

"Hey, pup. I guess this isn't the time for a drink, huh?" I said as I walked up to where the wine was stored. Bigby walked up to me and gave me a blank look. "Yeah, thought so. It's the same brand we found in the Open Arms." I said. Bigby and I walked away from the wine, ma giving it a longing look, before I almost tripped over Bigby. He had crouched down in front of a bag.

"This hasn't been used in years." Bigby said as he took out a small notebook from the bag. He opened it and some guy had written a merry Christmas for Crane. "I forgot. He used to teach in the old days." Bigby said.

"He was a teacher?" I asked with a shocked look. Bigby nodded and smiled at my shocked state. I shook my head and walked over to the desk. I opened the drawer and took out a letter.

"'My dearest Snow, I know you must be aware of my feelings towards you…watching you work…If I am unable to control myself, it is because I love you'?!" Bigby looked at the letter in disgust while I shrugged.

"Can't blame him for trying, I guess." I said with barely any emotion in my voice. I put the letter back on the desk while Bigby took the envelope. He pulled out a letter and some money.

"Crooked man. 'This is all I could get. I'm afraid Snow will start to notice. I'll have the rest for you next week. Ichabod Crane.' What's going on here?" Bigby asked himself.

"Crooked man? The guy whose neck is all…you know…crooked? He exists?" Bigby shrugged and gave me a small smile.

"Is it that surprising?" He asked.

"No, not really." I said with a shake of my head. I watched Bigby take out the money of the envelope and put it in his pocket. I looked at him questioningly while he just gave me a shrug of his shoulders. I looked back down in the drawer and took out a key.

"That might be useful." Bigby said. I nodded and gave him the key. He turned towards an answering machine. "There's a message." Bigby pressed on the play button and a female voice came out of the speakers. Apparently this woman works for the Crooked man and wants Crane to pay on Friday.

"Leave the light on?" I said. "She's got some problems." I said. We walked out of the living room into a hall. We stopped at a door and Bigby took out that key we found. He opened it and we walked in. only to find some blonde guy trying to go out the window with a duffle bag.

"Going somewhere." Bigby asked angrily while putting his hands on his hips. I glared at the guy and crossed my arms over my chest. He guy gasped and turned around.

"I, uh…"

"You're that guy who tried to flirt with me." I said with a low voice.

"Jack." Bigby said as if he was talking to a child who was about to be scolded for doing something wrong.

"Wow, it is just…unbelievable running into you two here. I mean, of all the places." Jack said. Bigby and I just glared at him. "This weather, right?"

"Cut the crap already. What are you doing here?" I said.

"What are you talking about pretty lady?" Jack said, trying to play innocent

"Don't play dumb. I'm running very low in patience tonight." Bigby growled.

"Okay, okay, okay, I know what it looks like, but before you go jumping to conclusions…Crane pays me to water his plants when he's gone." I rolled my eyes at his explanation. "It's a stipend, but you know I need the work. I wouldn't do it for free, right? You know me…So, anyways, now that I'm done-"

"I don't see any plants." Bigby snapped. Jack looked at the ground before running straight at me. Before I could do anything he had pushed me to the ground.

"Hey!" Bigby snapped and pushed Jack to the wall, holding jack's arms behind his back. Bigby turned him around and held his arm against Jack's neck.

"Okay, you got me. Just…take it easy! Don't make a big deal out of this." Jack said.

"I don't like being lied to!" Bigby growled. "Lex, you okay?"

"My ass hurts." I said annoyed while I walked up next to Bigby. Bigby growled loudly as he looked jack straight in the eyes.

"Okay, okay! I didn't mean to hurt her." Jack said.

"Say that to my aching bum." I said. Bigby stayed still for a second before he backed off. He looked me over as if he wanted to see for himself that I was okay. I gave him a smile before we turned back to look at Jack who gave us a questioning look with a sly smile.

"What?" Both Bigby and I snapped at him. Jack turned serious again.

"I heard Crane was leaving town. I figured he owed us 'little people' a parting gift. Or just me a parting gift." He said with a small smile.

"You 'heard'?" Bigby asked.

"I have my sources, okay?" he defended. "You see how he lives. He doesn't need any of this shit. A little Robin Hooding never hurt anyone, right?"

"And you heard this from…" Bigby trailed off.

"What does it matter? I hear things." We just looked at him blankly. "What else do you want me to say? I got bills to pay. Not like Crane's gonna use any of this stuff. Alright?" Jack snapped, making Bigby even angrier. Bigby took Jack by his jacket.

"Did somebody send you?" Bigby pulled him closer to glare Jack straight in the eyes. Bigby wasn't as tall as Jack but the pup was looked more dangerous than blondie. "And tell the truth."

"Bigby." I put my hand on his shoulder, making him calm down slightly.

"No! It's just me. Just take it easy." Jack said. I put my other hand on his other shoulder. Bigby pushed Jack away from him and looked down. I don't think he was aware that he put on of his hand over mine until he started to groan. He glanced at me before pushing my hand of his shoulder. He turned away from me and Jack.

"You know…This tortured, lonely pig eater bit's gonna get old eventually. Don't you get tired of it? I mean, what are you even doing here? Are you just wandering around Crane's apartment? What's the point? Or are you trying to impress the lass over there." Jack said as he glanced at me. My eyes widened a little as Bigby glanced at me as well.

"We're trying to find Crane's witch, he's supposed to be heading there." Bigby said.

"Crane's witch? Is that why he took off? Who the fuck cares about any of that? I mean, don't you think…oh, I don't know…solving these murders should be your top priority? Because, let me tell ya, people haven't forgotten about those at all." Jack said.

"I have reason to believe Crane…might be the murderer." Bigby said.

"Give me a fucking break. Ichabod Crane? I mean, the guy's clenched tighter than a…you know, than a…well, I'm having difficulty coming up with something appropriately tight right now, but you get what I'm-"

"Can you shut up already?" I snapped.

"Doesn't matter if you believe it or not. I have evidence that places him at the scene of the crime. So we're bringing him in."

"We? You mean you and that girl? Maybe I was wrong. No longer going lonely wolf huh?" Bigby glared while I gave him a blank look.

"Okay, fine, you know what's best." We still glared at him. "Well. Looks like you've got it covered. It was really nice catching up with you, I mean that." Jack was about to walk through the door but Bigby and I moved ourselves to block him.

"Bigby and uh Lexy was it? I believe you two are blocking the doorway there…If I could just, uh, squeeze through?" Jack said. Bigby glared while I huffed. "You know, on second thought… it's actually funny I ran into you like this…I think I can help you two out." Bigby and I looked at each other before looking back at Jack.

"Go on. We're listening." Bigby said.

"If you're looking for Crane's witch…well, I just happen to know who she is." Jack said. I guess that sly smile is his trademark. "If you're interested. Information comes at a price though. But I'm sure you already knew that." Jack said.

"Alright. Tell us." Bigby said.

"Let's make ourselves a deal. I tell you about Crane's witch, and you forget you saw me here. One hand washes the other sort of thing. Wipe the whole incident under the rug. C'mon. What do you say?" Jack held out his hand to Bigby.

"Fine. You got a deal." Bigby said.

"Perfect." Jack said. Bigby took jack's hand and squeezed painfully. I believe I heard some bones close to cracking.

"Now tell me where we can find this witch." Bigby said.

"Strong grip." Jack said as he hastily pulled his hand back. "Her name is Aunty Greenleaf. Crane's been trying to keep it under wraps for years. I'm not sure what kind of deal he's made with her, but from what I hear he's in pretty regular contact."

"And why should we believe you?" I said as I looked him over.

"How reliable is this information? You sure you have the right name?" Bigby asked.

"Absolutely, without a doubt. Uh, the thing is…I don't know where you'd find her…exactly." Jack said. I frowned as Bigby growled a little.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." Bigby said.

"But even a name is a good start! Right? I mean, that's more than what you two came in with." Jack said. Bigby hesitated until I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Right." Bigby said. I don't know, maybe it's just wishful thinking but he seems to calm down at my touch.

"I'll keep my eyes open for you. If I find anything else you might be interested in I'll be sure to let you know. I think this arrangement can be beneficial to both of us down the line." Jack said. Bigby just kept glaring at him. "It was just lovely running into you, Bigby. And you as well miss. Lexy. A beautiful face like that is always a welcoming sight." Jack said as he started to walk towards the door again. However Bigby took his duffle bag out of Jack's hand.

"Hang on a second." Bigby said. Jack glared at Bigby and turned his angry eyes towards me. I just smirked and walked up next to Bigby.

"Oh, come on." Jack whined. Bigby opened the bag and looked in it. A lot pf expensive junk was in there. Bigby pulled out a small tube that we've seen before.

"The white deer." Bigby said.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that?" Jack asked. Bigby glared but I didn't notice until he looked at me.

"You actually do that a lot." I said. I grinned sheepishly as he glared at me.

"The witch uses the white deer on everything. It's her symbol, or trademark I guess." Jack said, pulling the attention back on him. "Figured I could sell these at the Lucky Pawn."

"The Lucky Pawn?" Bigby and I said at the same time. We looked at each other in surprise before turning back to Jack.

"It's one of the Crooked Man's places. I work there sometimes…when I need some 'stability.'" Bigby looked down at the ground for a second while I just gave Jack a curios look.

"It's a Pawn Shop, get it…?" Jack stopped talking when I gave him a glare.

"Yeah, yeah…" Bigby mumbled to himself while looking at the tube. "You find any more of these?" Bigby asked.

"Uh, no." Jack said a little too fast.

"Really?" I said. I started grinning slightly. "You sure there aren't anything more of those?" I asked and used some of my seductive skills. Jack looked at me and swallowed. He reached into his back pocket and pulled two more. He held them out for me and I took them.

"Thanks." I said, going back to my normal behaviour. I turned back to Bigby and gave them to him, ignoring the questioning look he gave me.

"Bigby!" Snow? Oh, great. "Are you still here?"

"We're done here." Bigby said.

"Fine by me." Jack said. Bigby and I turned around to see Sow walking towards us.

"Who are you talking to?" She asked with a frown. "What's he doing here?"

"Evening, Miss. White." Jack said with his trademark smirk.

"Good evening…What's going on" Snow said. She gave me a glare before frowning at Bigby. I stuck out my tongue behind her back, making Jack's smirk widen.

"He's here to help. Jack had some information about Crane's witch." Bigby said.

"Oh. What did you find out?" Snow asked.

"We, White. I helped." I snapped at her.

"Her name is Greenleaf." Bigby said, glancing back at Snow and giving me a warning look.

"Aunty Greenleaf." Jack said.

"But he doesn't know where we can find her." Bigby said.

"Great." Snow said with a shake of her head. "Crane's meeting her at two am."

"And Snow…I found a note with some money attached. Crane has been embezzling from Fabletown." Bigby said.

"Of course. Because why half-ass being a complete sleaze ball. Do you think this is tied to the murders?" Snow asked.

"Sleaze ball?" I asked before snorting unladylike.

"I mean…" Glare all you want princess. "I guess it doesn't matter yet. We still have to find him."

"I don't know. Maybe." Bigby said.

"Crane's meeting Greenleaf at two am. And we have no idea where she is. We're going to cut it close as it is. We have to figure out where he's meeting her." I rolled my eyes at Snow. I really don't like her. She talks too much.

"Wouldn't she be listed in the Business Office?" Yes, go look Snow. Then Bigby and I can work peacefully without a whiny princess following us.

"I've had Bufkin searching for any unauthorized witches, but so far we haven't found anything. I'll give him the name, but we don't have time to wait around." Damn.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I said while glaring at both of them.

"You should try Holly's. She still has all of Lily's things." Snow said.

"If she hasn't burned it already." Bigby said.

"Well, just standing here isn't going to help." I said.

"We'll go to the Trip Trap. See about Lily's things. I think that's our best option." Bigby said as he gave me a glance. I smiled and nodded.

"Sounds good." We started walking out but stopped at Snow's voice. "I'll give Bufkin the name and hope he finds something in the records."

"Let me know what he comes up with." Bigby said.

"I'll be in touch. I hope you'll do the same." Snow said making me silently huff.

"We'll catch him, Snow." Bigby said. After a while Bigby looked at me. "What's got you so huffy?" I huffed again and opened my side of the door.

"Come on, Lex." Bigby said as he stepped into my car. I started driving, ignoring Bigby staring at me.

"What?" I said as I glanced at him with a frown.

"I'm waiting for that smile." My frown deepened as he said this.

"Fuck off." I said and cursed myself as I felt the corners of my mouth lift up.

"There's the smile I was waiting for." Bigby said, giving me a smile.

"I'm not a child." I huffed.

"You look like one when you're all huffy." I huffed again and for the rest of the ride he kept grinning while I kept pouting. I parked my car and we bot walked to the entry of The Trip Trap. I got sad when I read the note on the door.

'Sorry we're close due to bereavement.'

"Poor thing." I said with a shake of my head. My head perked up when I heard giggling from behind the door.

"She's asleep ya fuckin' idiot." We heard a muffled voice talk, still giggling. "She didn't even give me a chance to explain!" Bigby and I looked at each other before looking back at the door.

"We need to talk to Holly." Bigby said loudly. We waited for a few seconds until the door was opened. I looked at the guy with narrowed eyes until I saw he had only one arm. I remember, this is the guy that had his arm ripped off by Bigby.

"Hey, look, Woody, it's the Sherrif." He said as the woodsman came up from behind him. "Well come on in, buddy. And take your pretty lass with ya." I glared at him in disgust.

"Gren…" Woody said.

"What, they're travellers, weary travellers in search of some…hospitality, right?" He said to Woody and turned back to us. "Right? I mean…you must not be feelin' too good after that shit show." The guy, Gren said.

"He's drunk." I mumbled to myself as I facepalmed.

"Yeah…we'll only be here two minutes. I just need to check through Lily's things." Bigby said.

"Whatever." Gren dragged out. Gren made room for us to pass. When we were in the bar we looked around. "I want a drink. Anybody else want a drink?" Gren said as he started to tumble towards the bar.

"Gren, Swineheart said you shouldn't mix it with-"

"You think I give a fuck what that fuckin' guy says? Or what you say?" Gren lashed out at Woody.

"Gren. Really. You shouldn't drink right now." Woody said. We walked over the bar and Bigby crossed his arms over his chest. Giving Gren a look that he wasn't really agreeing with drinking.

"I can't hear you when you mumble." Gren said.

"Swineheart told me that Holly was here…" Bigby said. I stepped up beside him.

"We need to talk to her." I said.

"Holly's asleep in back, but you won't be able to wake her." Woody said as he sat down at the bar.

"Really?" Bigby said. He walked up next to Woody while I looked around.

"The doc gave them both Barmecidal ambrosia. For the pain." Woody said.

"Look, the deal is…if you resist going to sleep…like I am right now…it gives you a very, very, very nice high." Gren said before he disappeared behind the counter.

"And he said that he shouldn't mix it with alcohol." Woody said.

"Well, not the best idea to bring him to a bar now is it?" I said. Woody gave me one of those 'I know, I know' smiles. We watched as Gren poured himself a drink.

"Yes, he did, he certainly did, but lemme tell you something. I haven't felt this good in a long time, fat boy…" Gren said to Woody.

"Have you seen her sister's things? What wasn't burned at the funeral?" Bigby said.

"We really need it." I said as my eyes darted between the two men.

"I saw her come in with something, but I didn't see where she put it…" Woody said.

"Nope haven't seen it." Gren said, he drank up his glass full with alcohol. Can't say I've never done that, drinking while having pain meds. When Gren was done with drinking he looked sad. "The funeral back there? That was a shitty fuckin' send off for a pretty okay lady."

"Yeah." Woody agreed.

"You weren't fuckin' there. I'm talkin' to Lexy and Bigby now, okay." Woody looked down and shut his mouth. "Can't say you being two being there helping things much…" Gren said to us.

"Gren, don't start nothin'." Woody said. Is this the man that Bigby so hates? Yeah, I guess you could after being hunted for so damn long but…this guy was now defending us.

"Whose startin' anything? I'm not." Gren said with a smile.

"Right now, I couldn't give a shit what you think." Bigby snapped, his eyes were narrowed as he looked at Gren.

"No?" Gren stupidly asked.

"No." Bigby answered.

"Well, I can tell." My hand twitched to my gun when Gren said that. He looked like he wanted to start a fight, until he started smiling. "Whatever, it's alright, I'm too out of it to get into it." He said. I slowly let my hand rest against my sides again. "I wanna clear the air. We're all in this dungheap of a fuckin' shit town together, and we're all gonna have a toast. All of us." Gren said. Bigby looked annoyed and it even got worse when Gren rested his arm on my shoulders.

"Fellas. We're here for one thing: to look through Lily's belongings and get out of here. Will you get your hands off of Lexy? Now-"

"Yeah, yeah," Gren interrupted Bigby. "I know, I know, and I wanna help you okay?" Gren pulled his arm away and walked back to stand in front of Bigby. "And I will…but first indulge me, it'll take two seconds. As a show of good faith…and after, we'll all hunt and peck for Lily's shit or whatever."

"Gren, Bigby and Lexy didn't come here to get loaded with you." Woody said.

"I don't wanna get loaded with them. It's just a quick slug. Not gonna hurt anybody." I shook my head at Gren and looked at Woody.

"Woody, before this turns out wrong, we need to ask you something." Woody looked up and stared into my eyes with a questioning gaze. "You seem like the most sober one here." I said with a smile. He nodded and waited for my question.

"What possible questions could you have for this piece of shit? Everything's a problem when I wanna talk-"

"Can you shut your mouth?" I said with a low voice. "Or do I need to shut it for you." I snapped. Gren blinked before he took a step back. I turned back to Woody, my heart fluttering when I saw Bigby's approving smirk.

"I don't know when you last saw Lily…but did she ever mention anything about a witch?" I asked.

"No. We didn't talk about 'work.'" Woody said.

"Alright, thanks." I said. Woody nodded before he stood up and left.

"Gren." Bigby said as he walked up to the man sitting at the bar.

"I don't know where Lily's shit is. Check Holly's room, I dunno. But I wouldn't wake her if I were you. Sleep walkers and trolls, I think that's the rule. Maybe ogres, too." Gren said slowly.

"Thanks for the-"

"Actually, Bigby, Lexy, if you'll excuse me, it seems that I'm gonna pass out. What a day, am I right, Sherrif? What a fucking day." Gren said before his head dropped on his arm.

"Should we call Swineheart?" I asked Bigby.

"He'll be fine." Bigby said. We walked towards the backdoor and he opened it we were met with a sleeping Holly, in her true form. The stuff that we were searching for were right under the cot she was sleeping at. I looked at Bigby before tapping her shoulder twice. She didn't wake up but she did move her hand away from the stuff. Bigby took the box out from under the cot. He put the box down on a table. We looked in it and the picture immediately took my attention. Just when we were about to take a closer look, Holly grunted ad opened her eyes.

"That you, Woody?" Holly sleepily asked.

"We're just here for Lily's things, Holly. Go back to sleep." Bigby said.

"We'll take just a second." I said.

"Bigby, Lexy…bar's closed. And excuse me, but…I'm not in the mood for entertaining. But what the fuck, I know you're not gonna leave. You do what you want, you always do what you want…" Holly said. Bigby picked up the picture, Faith was on the picture together with two other girls.

"Do you even give a shit about us? The strays? The ones that aren't in that fancy high rise. Those of us that gotta work for a living." Holly said.

"Holly…just because I live in the Woodlands doesn't mean I'm not one of your 'strays.' I'm not Crane, or Cole. I didn't exactly grow up wearing clothes." Bigby said. Right, I forgot…he acts like a human but in fact he is a wolf.

"Yeahhh… I know you didn't." Holly said before she closed her eyes again. We turned back to Lily's belongings and found the small wooden tube in the box as well.

"Why'd you even come here? There's nothin' here to investigate. I can't be any use to ya." Holly said.

"I need to look through your sister's things." Bigby said.

"To look for clues?" Holly asked.

"If you wanna put it that way." Bigby said. He sounded so awkward that I couldn't help but smile a little. Bigby ignored my smile and picked up a blue book. He looked through it until Holly spoke again.

"Be honest. Sheriff…why are you goin' after him? The guy that killed Lily. You coulda quit a long time ago…but you're still going. Why? Did they give you this job for a reason? Or was this the only thing the Business Office would let you do?" Holly said.

"I'm doing this for Faith." Bigby said. Holly and I looked at him in shock. I looked down at my feet before I looked back up at them.

"At least you're honest." Holly said. "You just remember…whatever bullshit excuse you tell yourself…I'm counting on you…So don't have any more fuck-ups." Bigby looked through the book again until the telephone rang.

"If you were getting your glamour on this day…then one of these has to be the witch. Aunty Greenleaf. Gotcha." Bigby said to himself.

"Hello, this is Snow White calling…" The voice of Snow came through the phone as it went over to voicemail. "I'm looking for Bigby. Is anyone there?" Bigby went over to the phone.

"Boohoo, she forgot me." I said and smiled when Bigby gave me a look.

"Snow?" Bigby said as he picked up. I snorted as he held the pink phone to his ear. He gave me the 'shut it' look before listening to the phone again.

"I got it, Snow. Her address was here with Lily's things. It's on, uh…White Plains Ave. Twelve eighty-four. It's an apartment complex…Alright, I see you there." He hung up and looked at me.

"Let's get going." I said. We left the Trip Trap and went back to my car. "And you were talking to yourself again."

"I was talking to you."

"No you weren't." We both smiled when we drove off to Aunty Greenleaf.


	9. A Crooked Mile Part 3

When we arrived at the apartment I parked my car and we stepped out. While walking towards the entrance we met up with Snow.

"Bigby." She shouted. We stopped walking and I rolled my eyes as Bigby looked over his shoulder. "I just got here."

"Yeah, us too. Its number 23. We haven't seen it yet." Bigby said while we started walking again.

"We're late." Snow hissed.

"We know, princess." I said. We stopped in front of a door with number 23 on it.

"Alright. How do you want to do this?" Snow asked Bigby. Bigby took a few steps back, ready to bust the door in. "Wait wait wait wait," Snow interrupted. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Bigby kept his voice low while Snow talked loudly.

"Don't just kick it in! We don't know what's on the other side. Let's just save the last resort for last." Snow said.

"Does it matter? She already knows we're here." I hissed.

"How do you know?" Snow snapped.

"Because you talk too fucking loud." I snarled.

"Fine, okay, what would you have me do instead?" Bigby said after he gave me a warning glance. I narrowed my eyes at the side of his head. Now, Bigby was talking loudly as well.

"I don't know, knock? I mean, we have no idea what's behind this-"Snow was interrupted when the door suddenly opened up.

"Hello?" A little girl in a yellow dress said with a voice full of sleep. Her tired hazel eyes looked up at us. Her eyes lingering at mine. Was that panic in her eyes? Well, I can't blame her. 3 people are standing on her doorstep. Snow and Bigby exchanged glances before looking back at the kid.

"Hi…" Snow said.

"You woke me up." The kid said, her eyes still droopy of sleep.

"I'm sorry for these two, kid. They don't know how to whisper." I said and smiled at her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Well, pardon the intrusion. I wasn't aware this was a munchkin's house." Bigby said with a little smile.

"Well, Dorothy, it isn't." The kid said.

"Sassy." I said and smiled at her while giving her a thumbs up. The kid smiled up at me with a smirk. She giggled when she saw Bigby's embarrassed look.

"Who are you?" Bigby asked.

"Rachel. Who are you?" The kid said while opening the door a little more. "Just so…We're not strangers…"

"Well, I'm the Sherrif. And this is my partner."

"Boss." Snow said curtly to Bigby.

"And this-"

"I'm Lexy. Nice to meet you, kid." I said with a smile.

"Pleased to meet you as well. How do you do? Is there, um…Is there anything you need?" Rachel said.

"Is Aunty Greenleaf at home? Does she live here?" Bigby asked.

"You mean, my mom?" The kid asked.

"She ever…you know, make the nightstand levitate? Turn frogs into cats, that kind of thing?" Bigby said while stepping a little closer so he could look into the room.

"Is she a witch, dear?" Snow asked.

"Oh no, I would never call my mommy that. She treats me alright." Rachel smiled at us. "Is there…uh, something you want? I don't think I can really help you." She looked up at us with a scared look.

"Snow, Lexy, can you just…do something here? I never have any idea what to say to these people." Bigby said, making me smile.

"You mean children?" Snow said. Bigby shrugged his shoulders.

"You were good with TJ though." I said. Bigby gave me a thankful smile before we heard Snow sigh in annoyance.

"DO you mind if my friends here take a look around? I promise we'll be quick so you can hurry back to bed." Snow said. Bigby and Snow just walked in without hearing the answer of the kid. Rachel looked scared as she looked back at me who was glaring at the two grownups. I looked down at the Rachel who was almost begging with her eyes to help her.

"Damn." I whispered to myself. I held out my hand and Rachel took it in her small one. I closed the door as I walked in.

"I've been here all night! Nobody's been here!" The kid said as she pulled me towards Bigby and Snow. Bigby gave her a serious look while I glared at Bigby.

"OK, Boss, I'm gonna trust your friend not to break anything…" Rachel said as she let go of my hand and walked away from us. "Don't get me in trouble."

"Look for anything unusual." Bigby said while looking around.

"Yeah, like Crane. He could still be here." Snow said.

"It's pretty rare to see a burner like this." Bigby said.

"Dowdy." Rachel sighed. "That's how we like it." I smiled as I looked at a picture of an older woman and Rachel.

"Is this your mom?" I asked the kid.

"Uh huh." Bigby went to a turntable.

"Lemme guess… Big band or classical?" Bigby said to Rachel.

"Honky Tonk." The girl said with a smile.

"No accounting for taste…" Bigby said. I elbowed him in his side making him look at me and shrug his shoulders. Bigby walked over to a door and opened it. "The butcher." Bigby said.

"What's that?" Snow said.

"A package having to do with someone called 'The Butcher.'" Bigby answered. "It's empty." Snow's curios look turned into a glare. "Not here." Bigby said after sniffing the air.

"There's no one here but me." Rachel said. "No one's been over all night, so…"

"He's just going to check, it will only take a moment." Snow said. While standing in front of Rachel I glanced behind the closet that was next to us. I looked at Bigby who gave me a questioning look. I shook my head at his look.

"There's nothing that looks like Crane was here, either." Bigby said while coming to stand next to me.

"Nothing?" Snow said.

"Princess, if so we would have found him already." I said while I looked around a little more.

"See?" Rachel smugly said. I looked at the skeletal head hanging above the burner like it was a trophy.

"Is your mother a hunter?" I asked.

"Oh, no, she'd never… That was found in the woods around Dix Mountain. I think." The kid said. I walked over to a tree standing in the corner.

"Why do you have a tree in here?" I asked as I touched one of the many leaves.

"Mommy uses that to carve her trinkets. It's from the old world." Rachel said.

"Trinkets? Like glamours?" Snow said. Rachel shrugged at Snow.

"Goddamnit." Bigby cursed.

"Shouldn't say that…" The kid sang.

"Nothing?" Snow asked.

"I keep getting whiffs of that aftershave of his…" Bigby snarled.

"I do, too." Snow agreed. Rachel looked at me and I shrugged at her. Suddenly she rubber her eyes. Poor thing must be tired.

"Can I go to bed now? Please?" Rachel asked Bigby who stood in front of her. I walked over to them to stand next to Bigby. I nodded at him and he looked at Snow. Snow went to go to Rachel's room and the kid followed. Only then we saw one of those glamour tubes laying on the desk. The kid had been standing in front of it.

"Is that a glamour tube?" Bigby asked.

"Mommy really doesn't let anyone play with that. Trust me, I've tried." Rachel said. Bigby picked up the glamour tube, making the kid panic.

"Oh, no no no no no, please please please just put that back exactly where you found it. No one is allowed to play with that." Rachel looked at Snow who bent down a little to speak to Rachel.

"It's alright, honey, Bigby's not going to break it." Snow said.

"No, you don't understand. She will freak out if she discovers I've let people in here and let them touch her stuff, okay?" Rachel panicked. "She checks all the time to see if things move. I don't wanna get in trouble."

"I'm not gonna break it, I just want to open it." Bigby said, his eyes narrowed at the kid.

"No! Put it down!" Rachel yelled as she tried to reach Bigby and me. She was stopped by Snow. Bigby and I stumbled when Rachel reached out her hand. "Pleeeease! Don't! This isn't what you think!" Bigby and I looked around us. "You've gotta believe me, that guy isn't here! I promise!"

"It's going to be okay, Rachel." Snow tried to reassure the struggling girl. Bigby and I looked down at the tube in his hands.

"Please. I'm begging you. I don't wanna…I don't wanna get in trouble." Rachel said. It sounded that there was another meaning behind the 'not wanting to get in trouble' thing. Bigby opened the tube and suddenly Rachel grunted and started glowing and growing.

"Aunty Greenleaf." Snow said as the young girl was now replaced by an older woman.

"It hurts…when you do it that fast." Greenleaf said as she glared over her shoulder at Snow. Bigby and Snow glared at her while I just frowned at her.

"What?" Greenleaf said.

"You think we have time to waste on this shit? You think this is some kind of game?" Bigby growled as he marched up to Greenleaf.

"No, I don't. But congratulations on 'winning' it…if that matters to you." Greenleaf said.

"Alright. Start explaining. And from the beginning." Snow snapped as Aunty sat down on her couch.

"None of this pathetic witchcraft crap is gonna prevent me from prying what I need from your gullet. Now tell me where Crane is!" Bigby growled. I was surprised to hear him this dangerous.

"I ain't a fortune teller, _Wolf_. I have no heavenly idea where he went to." Greenleaf said while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You have to know something." Snow said.

"Unless you want a recipe for owl stew…" Greenleaf began.

"Just why in the name of everything holy are you protecting this weasely scumbag?" Bigby snarled.

"Bigby, calm down!" I said loudly while putting a hand on his shoulder. However that small gesture did him nothing since he shrugged me off immediately while glaring at me.

"I mean…what on Earth could he have done to deserve this kind of loyalty?" Bigby asked.

"Crane could be hollow bones tomorrow…and you wouldn't see me cry a drop." Greenleaf looked down with a glare before she looked up at us again. "But that doesn't mean I can tell you anything. You have friends. Don't you? Well, I don't want Crane's friends for enemies." So she's scared. Figures.

"You want to get shipped off to the Farm? Huh? I'll have you kept in the horse's stables!" Bigby growled harshly.

"Bigby! Stop! Can't you see? She's scared!" I yelled.

"Stay out of it, Lexy! This isn't your business!" He snarled at me. I took a step back before I glared at me.

"This became my business when _you_ wanted _me_ to stay by _your_ side, remember?" I yelled.

"Then stop following me around." He snarled. This shut me up though. For a while. "Now you better fuckin' tell me where he is or we can skip the sentencing and go straight to judgment." He said to Greenleaf.

"There are worse things in life than darkness, Sheriff. Worse things than you. The huntress behind you knows all about that kind of hell." Snow and Bigby glanced at me but my eyes were locked with Greenleaf's. She broke our staring contest to look at Bigby. "I have bigger problems than your 'farm.' There's powers at work here beyond your pathetic authority."

"Whatever it is, Greenleaf…Whatever it is that's keeping you from saying something? You have to forget it. This is more important." Snow said.

"Is it." Greenleaf said in a low voice.

"She can't forget it." I snarled at Snow.

"I don't give a shit about your problems, Greenleaf. Just talk. Now." Bigby said.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" Greenleaf said as she watched Bigby curiously.

"Okay, you know what I think? I think we've been more than patient with you." Snow said to Greenleaf before she turned to Bigby. "This witch has been selling illegal glamours that continue to undermine everything we've built…She's harbouring a fugitive that took advantage of it, and now she's resisting every attempt to make things right." Snow ranted while she walked over to the tree. "I frankly don't give a crap if she's afraid for her life, we can at least make sure she never hurts us again. We're destroying the tree." Snow said.

"What?!" I yelled.

"No!" Bigby and I stumbled as the ground beneath us seemed to move again. Greenleaf stood up and looked at Snow.

"How dare you come in here and threaten to take from me the one thing that…that tree is ancient, it's part of the family, and it's the only thing paying for this shithole apartment! And the Fables who can't afford the glamours from you come to me for help. Without them, where do you think they could go?" Greenleaf ranted. Bigby started pacing around the room.

"Don't give me that! You're making money off of other peoples' misery. Two fables ae dead because of this crap." Snow said to Greenleaf before walking over to Bigby. While both weren't looking I put a hand on Greenleaf's shoulder. "It's too dangerous leaving this stuff with her."

"You think I like being the old woman in these stories? The men are heroes, the ladies are whores…and the old hags like me get to watch everyone they love die." Greenleaf snapped.

"We have very different ways of handling our fate." Snow said.

"Very different means to handle it, too." Greenleaf said.

"And I don't use it as an excuse to wreck people's lives!" Snow yelled.

"If you two think I will let you burn down that tree, than you must be delusional." I snarled at them. Both looked surprised at me.

"Snow, it's too much. We can't ruin this woman's life over this." Bigby said after looking in my eyes for a while.

"'Ruin this woman's life?' It's a slap on the wrist compared to what she's done! Bigby…this is an order. Burn the tree." I huffed and pulled out the gun. Sow heard me and turned around to look at the gun with wide eyes.

"I told you, I won't let you." I growled while holding the gun.

"You would shoot me?"

"I didn't like you anyway and uh…" I pulled down my shirt a little to show them the anti-possession tattoo. "Hunter." I sung.

"Look, look, I'll tell you…Crane was here, he was here and he left. He went to the Pudding N' Pie to try to use my ring on the girls over there to get information." Greenleaf said. I still kept the gun in my hand but stood down just a little.

"What does the ring do?" Snow asked.

"He thinks it's the Ring of Dispel…you know, that it will pierce the protection around the girls' speech. He says pulling the truth out of them will prove his innocence. It won't, though…damned thing lost its power decades ago." Greenleaf said.

"I'm sorry, but…we still can't let you keep the tree. It wouldn't be right after what's happened. Bigby?" Snow said.

"Woof." I muttered so only Bigby could here.

"Please, Sheriff." Greenleaf begged.

"Bigby…" Bigby turned to look at me and I begged him with my eyes to not burn that tree.

"Snow, do you really want to kill this tree for Fabletown? Or do you want me to burn it because you're pissed off at Crane…for what he…did to you." Bigby said while turning to Snow.

"They stole my hair from my apartment, Bigby. So yeah, I'm pissed, but I still know what's best for this town." Snow said.

"We're not burning the tree, Snow." Bigby said, his voice made it clear there was no discussing this. "Alright, let's go." We started walking out but Snow stopped and turned.

"Hey. Greenleaf. Don't think this is over." Snow said.

"Thank you, Lexy." Greenleaf said. I smiled before glaring darkly at Snow.

"I won't." She said. As we walked out of the room and down the stairs I started thinking.

_Then stop following me around._

My eyes followed Bigby's back. Maybe he's right. I should stop this…I don't even work for them so I could just drive off.

"Bigby, can I talk to you." I said as we walked outside. I glared at Snow who turned to us. "_Alone_." Snow glared before she walked a few feet away from us.

"What's wrong? We don't have time-"

"I quit." I interrupted Bigby. He looked at me with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape.

"What? Listen Lexy, what I said-"

"Was true. I'm not working for you or for princess over there. I came to this town to do my job." I said. He stared at me with those sad puppy eyes. I had to look away so I wouldn't give in. "I'll be gone tomorrow. And I'll shut my mouth about Fables." I started walking towards my car but was stopped by a hand holding my wrist.

"Don't go." Bigby said in such a broken voice I had to swallow that lump away.

"Come on, puppy. You'll be fine with princess." I said and brushed his hand away. "Bye." I stepped into my car and drove away. "Don't look back. Don't look back." I repeated to myself. I looked into the rear-view mirror and winced when I saw Bigby still standing there, watching me leave. When I arrived at the Woodlands, I parked my car and went to my room. I opened the door and was met with a whining Abby.

"You hungry girl?" I said and went to take some dog food. I put it in a bowl and gave it to her. I started packing my things, which took only 5 minutes. I guess I never really got to unpacking everything. A whine took me out of my thoughts. I looked back at Abby who gave me a questioning glance.

"We're leaving." I said and took my two bags. Abby followed me out of our apartment. When we were in the elevator, I looked at Abby. She was looking at me with puppy eyes. I frowned and shook my head. The elevator doors opened and we slowly walked out the Woodlands. I put my bags in the backseat before I opened the passenger door, to let Abby in. When I finally sat in my car and started it up, we drove off. After a few seconds I heard a whine. I glanced at Abby who gave me the puppy eyes.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that." I said. She pawed my leg and whined. I frowned and huffed. "Listen, I came to this town to hunt. To ride solo. Being with him isn't helping me." Abby barked and growled. "What are you threatening me now?" I glanced at the dog who glared at me. "So what? Yeah maybe I was hunting something down. That doesn't mean anything…" Can a dog give you a bitchface? Cause Abby is close to giving me one. "Fuck." I said and turned my car. They were going to that stripper place right? "I'm being owned by my own dog. Great." I said. I stopped my car and widened my eyes when I saw a woman sharpening an axe against a wall. She was walking towards a very hairy man lying on the ground. I left my car and took out my gun. Just when the woman lifted the axe above the hairy man I shot a bullet up in the air. She turned sharply and crazy golden eyes glared at me.

"I came for my dog." I said with a smirk while I lowered my gun into my belt.

"And who might you be?" The woman asked.

"I'm Lexy. And who the fuck are you?" I said as I looked her over.

"They call me Bloody Mary." She said as she rested the axe on her shoulder. I frowned and looked her in the eyes.

"Didn't I kill you already?" I said. She laughed and looked me over before she looked at the grunting hairy man.

"Lexy…G-get out of here!" Wow, Bigby maybe you should shave…like everywhere.

"Can't do that, Pup. I left you once and look in how much trouble you are." I said while keeping my eyes on Mary.

"Oh, so you are his bitch. I thought it was the princess over there." Mary laughed as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Cute. Let's see if you are strong enough, _human_." Mary said. I smirked and took on a fighting stance.

Mary charged at me but I blocked her and threw her off of me. Mary looked surprised but that look left as I charged. I kicked her in the stomach before throwing a fist at the side of her face. She stumbled backwards while wiping some blood of her lip.

"Alright, this will be fun." She said before she threw a fist at me with a lot of speed. She hit me in the stomach and kicked me against the wall. She smirked but she gasped as I threw my angel blade at her with the same speed she had. She had side stepped it just in time but the blade cut her on her cheek. I smiled at her shocked look. She wiped the blood of her cheek and licked it off her hand. We started fighting some more until we both had our guns pointed at each other.

"You're good." Mary said.

"Same to you." I sneered. My eyes drifted to a guy laying on the ground surrounded by blood. My eyes widened slightly.

"Oh yes your boyfriend over there ripped out his throat." Mary said sickly sweet.

"He's not my boyfriend." I deadpanned. Suddenly she threw her gun away and held the axe above her head to hit me. I dropped my gun and took my archangel blade. The axe and the blade collided. I was struggling to keep the axe away from me. She kicked me and I fell on the ground. The axe was near my head now and I held up the blade again.

"Stop!" Mary looked up at Snow and I looked at Bigby who grunted. His now red eyes were watching me.

"Just…take him, okay? Take Crane. Just stop. Please." Snow said, she glanced at me and Bigby. I guess my face must have been bloody because of the fight. Mar hummed as she placed a foot on my ribs to keep me down.

"Yeah, I don't know…" Mary said.

"Just," Bigby grunted. "Get out of here!" Mary looked back at the car behind her. A window rolled down and a hand appeared, signing it was okay, before the window rolled up again.

"It's your lucky day, kid. The Crooked Man says its okay with him." Mary said. She let me go and I crawled up. Snow was at Bigby's side in a second. I glared at her as she took Crane with her.

"Oh and just between us girls, Crane ain't no killer. I mean, look at his face. Couldn't stick a pig if his life depended." Mary pulled Crane's ear before she let him walk towards the car. "Nope. Not like your boyfriend here." Mary said as she glanced at me and back at Bigby. She roughly stepped on his arm, the bone now sticking out. Bigby roared and before Mary could blink I had shot her. She grunted and bend over slightly before she glared at me. "Let me guess. A hunter." She said.

"I remember me and my brothers shattering your mirrors…you're supposed to be dead." I snapped while still holding the gun. My other gun was on the ground but this one was chained to my belt.

"I remember you. Dean and Sam Winchester…together with Lexy Singer. You 3 have caused me a lot of trouble."

"Let me guess, you jumped in another mirror before we could notice." I snapped. She smirked and shook her head. I frowned and looked at her questioningly.

"We'll fight this out later…unless you want your dog to die." Mary picked up her gun from the ground and held it towards Bigby's head. Silver bullets can weaken him that much? I lowered my gun and glared at her as she giggled.

"Out with the old. In with the new. Long live the Queen." She started walking towards her car. "I'm sure we'll be in touch. See ya' around." She said over her shoulder before she stepped in her car and drove off.

"Damn it." I said before I turned to Snow and Bigby. "Snow, call Swineheart. We're gonna need someone to help us move him." She nodded and stood up while she went to call Swineheart. I took Snow's place by Bigby's side. "I can't leave you alone for just an hour can I." I said. I slowly lifted his head and let it rest on my lap.

"Lex…you came back." He grunted.

"My dog threatened me." I huffed while stroking his head. Bigby tried to chuckle but he winced and grunted in pain.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I looked at him with wide eyes before I gave him a small smile.

"Stupid pup." I said. He grunted and his eyes closed. My smile turned into a frown as he passed out.

"Swineheart is on his way." Snow said. I didn't answer her but I felt her eyes on me. "You care for him don't you?"

"Would I be here if I didn't?" I said.

"Just…take care of him." Snow said. I glanced up at her before smiling and huffing again.

"Fine, like one dog wasn't enough." I chuckled before we looked up at a car that pulled up in front of us. Swineheart stepped out and immediately helped us get him in the back of his car. Which wasn't easy since Bigby hadn't reverted to his human form yet. I looked at Snow when we got Bigby in the back of the car.

"I'll follow." I said and she nodded. They drove off and I followed in my car. I sighed to myself as I glanced at Abby. "What did I get myself in to." I said as I watched the car in front of me. "Please Bigby, don't die on me too."


	10. In Sheep's Clothing Part 1

Have you ever seen a friend, shot full with bullets? And have them pass out on your lap, knowing if you were there you could have prevented this? Let me tell you. It feels horrible. My head shot up when I heard Bigby groan. Finally he woke up.

"Hollow-point bullets are a nasty business. The silver slug deformed and shredded on impact." Swineheart said as he tried to get another piece of silver out. I winced as I looked at Bigby's chest. It was bloody, to say the least. His face was crunched up in pain.

"He'll be okay, though…" Snow said. Swineheart wasn't listening though.

"Snow let him do his job." I said softly.

"His internal organs are positively riddled. If I don't extract every single scrap of silver…he's liable to suffer some long-term toxicosis…" Swineheart explained. Bigby groaned and lifted his head. "Easy there. Try not to move." Bigby tried to talk but chocked on his own blood. He spit the lump of blood in his throat out and rested his head again.

"Bigby…" Snow started. I looked at her and saw she was also covered by Bigby's blood. I wasn't any better. Had some of my own blood on me as well. Bigby moved his broken arm, making the bone sticking out his arm more visible.

"We can't keep meeting this way, old boy…I'd figured I'd be done before you were conscious. But there's little I can do for the pain. Just stay still and let me finish." Swineheart said.

"My arm…" Bigby said while looking at it.

"Yes, very ugly. But not life-threatening. I can't say the same for these bullets peppered throughout your vital organs." Swineheart said while holding up a part of a silver bullet. Bigby started moving his arm more, making me cringe.

"Bigby, stop moving!" I said. Bigby grunted and looked in my eyes.

"Look, I'm a bit engaged saving his life at the moment…but if the fractured extremity concerns him that much, he can set it himself." Swineheart said. Bigby started to try to pull his bone back in place but his first try failed. Snow gasped while I just winced and looked away. His second try did work. He had bend forward, his eyes flashing yellow when his bone went back in place. He sat back and panted from the pain.

"Hm. Not bad. That'll do, I suppose." Swineheart said. This guy wasn't moved by much was he? He's lucky to be alive. And he won't be next time if he keeps going like this." Swineheart looked at me as I turned my angered eyes towards him. "He didn't listen to me before. Maybe he'll listen to you."

"He's too stubborn to listen to anyone." I said while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well he should stop being so stubborn then." Swineheart said. "There are limits to what even I can do."

"This…is the job…"Bigby said. That's what I used to say to hunting.

"Quiet. Just relax." Swineheart said. Bigby winced a few times as he tried to keep calm. I walked up to him and slowly let my hand rest on his shoulder. To my surprise he moved his head so the back of my hand was touching his cheek. Snow came over as well and bend over to watch Swineheart work.

"Excuse me, Miss White, but…perhaps it's be better if you gave me a few minutes to finish with him." Swineheart said.

"I-I think I should stay. At least until he's…out of the woods." Snow said.

"Believe me, Bigby couldn't be in better hands. And I need the space to work, so…" Swineheart trailed off.

"What about Lexy?" I looked up and we both glared at each other.

"It seems she's the only one who can keep him relaxed at the moment." Swineheart said.

"Don't worry, Snow. I'll be okay." Bigby said through a wince. Snow looked at me with a glare and I glared right back. The memory of our previous conversation returning to me.

**Flashback**

While we dragged Bigby in his apartment, Snow kept glaring at me. Once Bigby was put in his seat I turned to Snow.

"Let's talk." I said and went towards what I believed to be the kitchen. "Alright you've been glaring at me the whole time, so talk." I said once Snow closed the door.

"Why are you back?" She asked while she crossed her arms.

"I don't need to give a reason to you." I hissed.

"You do understand that this is your fault right?" Snow snapped.

"How so?" I asked as I looked at her.

"I saw you fight with Mary, Lexy. If you were there you could have stopped all this. Bigby wouldn't be on the brink of death right now. This is _your_ fault." Snow said. My angered face turned emotionless as I glanced at around me before I looked at Snow.

"I agree this is my fault. And I will have to live with that. But blaming me for it isn't going to help this case or Bigby." I growled before I pushed past her but she grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face her.

"When all of this is over, I want you to leave Fabletown." Snow hissed. "You're a threat to us. A hunter isn't supposed to be accepted here." We stood there for a second before I nodded.

"Whatever." I said and walked out the kitchen.

**End flashback**

"Hey, Doc? How much longer?" The pig asked.

"Colin, leave him be." Snow said warningly.

"It's finished when it's finished." Swineheart answered.

"Cause I once watched a vet sew a turtle together in ten minutes flat." Colin said. For some reason I had to smile.

"Was that turtle as big as Bigby?" I asked. Colin snorted and gave me an amused look.

"Colin, you're not even supposed to be here right now." Snow said.

"Oh really?" Colin said as he turned towards Snow. "Where am I 'supposed' to be? I'm here to take care of my friend."

"With what? Your hooves?" Snow said, pissing Colin off.

"Hey, listen lady-"

"Please keep it down back there, thank you…" Swineheart interrupted.

"Could I get some quiet in here?" Bigby groaned.

"Yes, that would be helpful." Swineheart said as I nodded in agreement.

"Sorry." Snow said. Finally Swineheart pulled out the last piece of silver.

"This isn't a habit you should keep to, having visits with me. And, well…this time…" Swineheart said while wrapping Bigby into some bandages. "This time was no joke. Eat as many metal shellings as you see fit, but take just one more silver round near your heart…and the only place I'll be visiting you is the morgue." I took my hand of Bigby's shoulder and went to the kitchen. I put one of my hands against the counter to keep me upright. My other hand was covering a side of my face.

This is my fault.

The door opened behind me and I looked back at Swineheart.

"Miss Lexy." I groaned and turned back around. "I know this is hard on you but…" He stopped talking when I gave him a glare. "…His body will eventually give out. Take care of him. Please." Swineheart said.

"Yeah, like I did a good job the last time." I said and rolled my eyes. I sighed and shook my head. "The idiot isn't going to step down, you know that right?" I said. Swineheart sighed and nodded.

"He needs sleep, mostly. Just keep watch." Swineheart said. "And make sure he doesn't get into further altercations."

"I can hear you guys, c'mon…" We heard him saying through the thin walls. I couldn't help but smile a little as I could almost imagine the kicked puppy look he would have given us.

"'Guard against,' as they say." Swineheart said. "Miss Lexy." He nodded and walked out the kitchen. I sighed and held my hands to my face. Damn, I'm tired. I turned when I heard the door open again. This time a limping Bigby walked in. He opened the fridge and took out some alcohol. It was silent the whole time he was drinking.

"Don't turn into Gren." I said while hugging myself.

"Don't worry about me, alright? I'll be fine." He turned his back to me and stretched his shoulder. I glared at his back before I shook my head.

"You died." I said. I saw Bigby turn around and look at me. "We lost you for…maybe 2 minutes? If you were a human you would be actually dead." I looked up at him and glared. "So don't tell me not to worry about your stupid ass." I hissed.

"Lex-"

"I'm sorry…" His eyes looked at me with so much shock that I had to turn away from him. "If I didn't run off, like a child, you wouldn't be like this."

"Hey, don't do that." I turned my head a little when I heard him step closer to me.

"You died." I held my hand over my mouth when my voice broke.

"Lexy…" I jumped a little when his hands were on my shoulders. He turned me around and hesitatingly pulled my hand away from my mouth. "I'd never leave you." My eyes widened before they got teary.

"But I did-"

"Hey." I gasped when his hands cupped my cheeks and tilted my head so he could look into my eyes. "Don't do this to yourself." He smiled and looked me straight in the eyes. "We just need to stay together so we don't get our asses handed to us." He said. He pulled me closer into a hug and I hugged him around his waist.

"Don't do that again, stupid." I said. He chuckled and put one hand on my head while the other held my waist.

"No promises." He said into my hair. We pulled back and we were both surprised how close we were. Only then I noticed his firm hand on my waist, the warmth it gave me. His hand on my head slowly drifted to the back of my neck. My hands had placed themselves on his bandaged chest. Our noses were barely touching. His warm alcohol scented breath touched my lips as they trembled. His brown eyes had darkened as they switched from my eyes to my lips. Mentally I scolded my heart for beating so wildly and recklessly. Slowly I let my hands drift over his chest, to his shoulders and to his neck. My breath came a little shallower as I felt the muscles tense and relax underneath my fingers. I faintly noticed his shallow breath and his beating heart going wild. We pulled each other closer so our foreheads were touching.

"This is really wrong." I whispered. He grunted but pulled me closer by my waist.

"You were really fucked up, man." Colin said just when Bigby started to lean in. I turned my head away and Bigby leaned his head on my shoulder. We let go of each other and I looked away while Bigby put his hand on his head. "You looked like when you take an action figure and bend its limbs the wrong way…" Colin said while giving us a knowing smirk. "Did I interrupt something?" He asked teasingly.

"Shut it." I said while rubbing my cheeks. They were probably as red as the blood on both me and Bigby.

"I'm just sayin', I was worried about him, is all. The guy hasn't had a night's rest in days…" Colin said as Bigby passed him. I followed Bigby's movements with a concerned feeling.

"We'll all get some rest when this whole thing is done." Snow snapped as she glared at me. I ignored her and patted Colin on the head. I let the conversation between Colin and Snow behind me when I heard Bigby grunt. He was about to put his shirt on but I stopped him.

"You need to get that blood off." I murmured. I took a towel and took a bottle of water. I poured the water over it and started to clean Bigby's chest.

"Thanks." He huskily said. I nodded and tried to keep my attention on cleaning. His hand brushed my arm, making me shiver. When I was done cleaning him up I helped him put on his shirt and did his tie. He held my hand while it tightened his tie. He bowed his head and kissed my cheek before he let go of me. I scowled at my heated face.

"The Crooked Man, Bloody Mary, the Tweedles… This is bigger than what I thought it was." Bigby said to a question of Colin that I didn't hear.

"Yeah…The Crooked Man came out of the shadows for a reason…For him to attack us so blatantly like that…he either feels invincible or desperate." Snow said.

"Well, if those are my two options… I don't think I'd pick desperate." Colin said

"Whatever it is, it was stupid." I said while crossing my arms.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked Colin.

"You traded Crane. To save Bigby and Lexy. I'm just sayin'…that's not exactly somethin' you do when you're playin' with house money…" Colin said.

"So he called my bluff. It's not like I'm gonna let Bloody Mary just murder-" Snow looked surprised before she turned back to her uptight self. "It was a split-second decision and I don't care how it looked."

"Yeah, uh…Thanks, Snow. For all that back there." Bigby said before he turned to me. "You too Lex. You could actually put up with Bloody Mary." I smiled at him and shrugged.

"'Thanks?' You're not pissed that Crane's flown the coop? Or that the Crooked Man thinks he's got Snow under his thumb?" Colin said.

"We're all mad about it, Colin…But it's not like we had a strong choice in the matter." Snow said.

"What else could Snow do? If she didn't hand him over, my ass would be down the Witching Well, Lex would be 6 feet under and Crane still would have been taken." Bigby snapped.

"Okay, okay, I'll take your word for it." Colin said.

"All I care about right now is…just what does the Crooked Man want out of this?" Snow said as she walked away from us. "I thought he was just a… loan shark. But clearly, he's operating in other circles. It can't just be about Crane, right? Getting him out of town? Is this all about the murders?" I rubbed my forehead. She asks too many questions, it hurts my head. "Crane can't be useful to him anymore…So what could this have to do with Faith and Lily?"

"Crane was a puppet, and the Crooked Man worked the strings. This is all about control of Fabletown." Bigby said.

"But then what do prostitutes have to do with it? Lily…and Faith?" Snow said.

"I don't know how it all works out yet, but I know it does…somehow." Bigby said.

"The Crooked Man…declared war against us last night. At least that's what I thought, when it happened. But now I see this was has been going one for years. We just haven't noticed it, because our way of doing things is broken. We need to do things the right way." Snow said.

"What does that mean? The 'right way'?" Colin asked.

"What do you think I mean?" Snow snapped.

"I don't know, but it suspiciously sound like 'your way.'" Colin answered. "Bigby's the one on the front lines. You can't give him a leash, he doesn't work that way." Colin said.

"I agree. Bigby's not your dog you can order around." I said.

"Look, I know things haven't gone great recently, but…we're still doing our best." Bigby said.

"That's not good enough." Bigby looked down sadly. "So…starting now…we do everything cut and dried, by the book, straight as an arrow." Snow said.

"Pure as driven snow…" Colin said.

"I'm not saying I'm the arbiter of-"

"Sure you're not." Colin and I said at the same time. I saw Bigby struggling a little and helped him sit down, while Colin stood next to the chair, in front of me.

"This town has enough monsters. What happened last night…what you turned into…it can't happen again."

"Bigby's not a monster." I growled. Snow glared but I glared right back.

"We need monsters to fight monsters." Colin said.

"Colin, if I really believed that we needed him to lose his flippin' mind at a moment's notice… Then that would mean I'd lost all faith in our ability to help this town." Snow said.

"We were under attack, Snow. What did you expect me to do?" Bigby said.

"There are degrees." Snow said.

"Degrees? I only ever do what's necessary." Bigby said.

"Really?" Snow sounded as if she didn't believe him. "Well if that's the case…please explain to Colin why tearing Dum's throat out was necessary."

"You can't let up until the fight is finished." Bigby said and I nodded in agreement. "He was…he was still a threat, and that's all there is to it."

"Sure. Look, Bigby. I care about how this is done just as much as I care about it getting done." Snow said.

"So for that you wanna give him a handicap? Like the bad guys will worry if shit gets sloppy? Everybody wants Bigby to smile and shave and take a shower now and then…Hell, I'm practically the President of the 'Bigby, Don't Be Such a Dick' Club…" Colin defended Bigby.

"Relax, Colin. I can speak for myself, okay?" Bigby said.

"He'll get the job done. Just let him do it." Colin said.

"I'm going to-" Snow put a hand on her head to calm herself down. "I'm going to let you 'do it', okay? It's just that…now that I'm Deputy Mayor, I need your respect." Snow looked down at Colin and glared. "And _this_ situation…has to end."

"What situation?" Colin asked.

"All unglamoured Fables – starting today – have to go and stay at The Farm." Snow said.

"Oh, give me a fuckin' break!" Colin shouted before he turned to Bigby. "Are you gonna let her talk to me like that?"

"It's been the rule for a reason, Colin…" Snow said. "And Bigby knows it's for the best of the town."

"If Snow says that's the way it's gotta be, that's the way it's gotta be." Bigby said. I pulled my hand away from his shoulder and shook my head.

"What. Are you kiddin' me?" Colin said.

"If you would simply get a glamour…" Snow said.

"'Get a glamour?' With what money? You think I can work? I don't even have thumbs." Colin shouted. The phone started ringing and suddenly Snow picked up.

"Wolf's residence." Snow snapped.

"What the hell?" I said while looking shocked.

"That's rude." Colin said to Bigby and me.

"Oh, Bufkin, what is it? ...Okay I'll let him know. Thanks. Guess who's waiting in your office right now." Snow said. Bigby just shrugged at her, not knowing who would be at his office.

"Nerissa." Snow said.

"Nerissa?" Bigby said

"That broad from the Pudding N' Pie?" Colin asked.

"Yes. Apparently she told Bufkin that she has something she needs to talk to you about…but that she'll only tell you. What do you think that could be?" Snow asked.

"She knows something…She's helped me a little with the case, maybe she has something else." Bigby said.

"Maybe she does. I should get back to the Business Office, I've left Bufkin alone for too long taking calls." Snow said while she walked towards the door. "And I should probably change out of these clothes. Consider the discussion tabled, but not over. Let me know when you're done with Nerissa." Snow ordered while she left the apartment.

"Aye aye, Captain." Colin said mockingly. "She's a piece of work. Hey, you're not really gonna send me to The Farm, are ya? I mean…She seemed real serious about it. But I can still hang out here…"

"Look, uh, maybe a few will get sent up, but you're my friend, Colin. I wouldn't do that to you. Don't worry about it." Bigby said to Colin.

"Thanks, Bigby." Colin said. "I guess Lexy did change you for the better." He said when he turned to me.

"Shut it." I said with a teasing smile. "Anyway, I should follow the queen's example and change clothes." I pulled at my clothes and rubbed my eyes. "And maybe take some sleep. I feel like I'm going to drop any second." I said and yawned.

"You can crash here if you want." Bigby said while giving me a small smile. I smiled back but shook my head.

"That's sweet, pup. But I don't think you have women's clothing hanging around here." I smiled teasingly at him. "Or is there something you need to tell me." He rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. We left the apartment but before I could go off to my apartment I was held back. I looked back at Bigby who looked down at me.

"When you're done resting, come to my office." He said. His eyes almost begged me to agree. Was he this scared that something would happen to me? No, that's just wishful thinking.

"Sure." I said before walking to the elevator and went up to my apartment. When I finally reached my bedroom I undressed and pulled on clean clothes. I sighed and fell down on the bed. Soon Abby accompanied me on the bed and rested her head on the pillow.


	11. In Sheep's Clothing Part 2

I yawned when I woke up from my powernap. I stood up and immediately went out the door after brushing my teeth and putting my guns back in my belt. I rubbed my eyes as I stood in the elevator, ready to go to Bigby's office. When the door opened I was surprised to meet with brown puppy eyes.

"Perfect timing." His husky voice said. I smirked and nodded. Bigby walked into the elevator but Snow, who was standing next to him, stayed where she stood.

"I have…other matters to attend to." Snow said and she just walked away. The doors closed and I looked at Bigby.

'What was that all about?" I asked. Bigby just shrugged and looked down at me. "So what did I miss?"

"We're going to Beauty and Beast's apartment. It could be they are working with the Crooked Man." Bigby said just when the doors opened. We walked out and I hummed. "And it's the ribbons that killed those girls." Bigby said. I looked up at him in surprise and he nodded.

"And you didn't want to tell me what you were into, either." We heard Beast's muffled voice.

"With good reason. Look what happened." Beauty answered. Bigby and I walked over to their door. Bigby knocked loudly and the voices behind the door went silent. The door opened just a little bit to reveal Beast.

"Oh," Well, he's happy to see us. "What do you want?" Bigby didn't seem any happier than Beast was. "Well? You're just going around, knocking on doors?"

"You called, right?" Bigby answered. "Or, uh…was it Beauty?"

"Why would I call you?" Beast said while glaring at us.

"So Beauty called." I said with a smirk. Beast looked at me and glared.

"Listen, I've had a shitty night-"

"You think you're the only one?" Beast said, interrupting Bigby whose body was still tense. Was it because of the pain or because he was on edge, I don't know. Maybe both.

"And I really don't wanna deal with the run-around. Snow said you called and wanted to talk to me." Bigby said as he glared straight back at Beast.

"Well, _I_ didn't call. Must have been Beauty. She's been…surprising me a lot lately." Beast said.

"We do that when men are being assholes." I said.

"Can we-"

"So have you, Bigby." Beast said, once again interrupting Bigby. "Yet, with all the sneaking around and secrets, somehow, I'm still the bad guy in this. I've had to hear about it all night long from her." Beast glared at Bigby as the wolf turned his head away.

"Who is it?" Beauty's voice seemed to come from far. She was probably in another room. It amused me that Beast's glaring face turned into one of concern the second he heard his wife's voice. "Who's there?"

"If you don't wanna talk, can you just get Beauty for us?" Bigby asked.

"I don't know. Is it safe to turn my back?" Beast answered. He closed the door before he opened it wide open.

"It's your pal, Bigby." Beast said.

"And me!" I said while waving. Bigby elbowed me in my side softly making me shrug at him.

"Hi Lexy, Bigby. Please excuse us for just a minute?" Beauty said to us before she turned to her husband. "Can I talk to you in private?" Bigby and I walked into the apartment and closed the door behind us.

"Yes, let's." Beast said, glaring at his wife. They left the room and closed the door behind them. We walked further into the apartment. They had a nice place. It looked vintage and there was a lot of room, even with the 4 seats and table in here.

"Hm." Bigby hummed.

"What is it?" I said as I turned to him.

"I guess I really do have the smallest apartment in the Woodlands." Bigby said. I snorted and patted his shoulder. "Wonder what the electric bill is for that thing?" He looked up at a chandelier that was hanging above the table. I walked towards a large painting, Beast was standing behind Beauty, holding her waist while she held a glowing rose.

"Hm. Talk about living in the past." Bigby said as he saw me looking at the painting. We were ignoring the fighting that came from the other room. I examined the painting a little longer before I gave Bigby a weird look. Why did I give him a weird look? Because for some reason he wanted to knock on the bookshelf that was standing next to the painting. Bigby saw me looking and gave me a shrug. He went towards a vase and wanted to knock on it too but I took his wrist. He gave me those cute puppy eyes but I shook my head at him. We turned around when the door opened. Beast came out of that room, proudly while Beauty looked uncomfortable and hugged herself.

"Sorry, it's been a long night." Beauty said.

"Yeah, you know what they say. Centuries of marriage come with centuries of baggage." Beast said. Bigby and I looked at each other, uncomfortable to see this couple fighting.

"I gotta say, your place… It looks, uh…expensive." Bigby said while looking around.

"What do you mean by that?" Beast asked, obviously angry.

"Beast!" Beauty warned.

"No, really, I wanna know." Beast said to his wife. "What are you trying to say, huh? Did you come to give us decorating tips?" He said while he walked up to Bigby.

"Jeez, calm your tits!" I said.

"Nothing, it's…a nice place you got here." Bigby said with a smile. It made me blink and look away. I saw Beauty look at me with wide eyes before she smiled at me. I shook my head and glared before looking back at Bigby.

"Thanks, but…that's really not why I called." Beauty said.

"Is this something about that loan you took out? ... From the Crooked Man?" Bigby said.

"I didn't know what else to do, so-"

"We should deal with this on our own. Bigby and his girl are just going to complicate things." Beast said, interrupting Beauty.

"I have a name you know." I scowled at Beast. Bigby put his large hand on my shoulder, making my eyes widen again.

"I called them here, and I wanted to see if they can help us out." Bigby started to pace around while they were arguing again. "Why are you being like this?"

"I'm just trying to do what's best for us. That's all I ever do." Beast said.

"We'd like to help you, but we can't do anything if you don't tell us what's going on." Bigby said.

"I gotta know one thing, first…What if we did have something to say about the Crooked Man? What if we talk, and you don't get him and all this comes back on us? We'd be risking a lot." Beast said to Bigby. "We've seen what happens when you cross the Crooked Man. And I don't know if it's worth it…If you can't give us certain…assurances…"

"We're just looking for a little peace of mind in this." Beauty said.

"We can protect you. But only if you tell us what we need to know." I said.

"And that means details. No more stonewalling." Bigby finished.

"We aren't." Beauty said, defending themselves.

"Then just tell us what's going on here." Bigby said.

"Look, we're used to a certain kind of…lifestyle, okay? We couldn't just give that up." Beast said.

"We never meant for it to get like this. It's just that…we had nowhere else to turn. And we got in over our heads." Beauty said.

"There's not a lot of work out there. Who would we be if we just lived like…" It was obvious that Bigby was angry. Suddenly the phone rang behind us. No one moved as we all stared at the ringing phone.

"Hi there! You've reached Beauty…" The voicemail went over.

"And Beast."

"And we're out doing something fabulous."

"Uh, let me just, uh…" The real Beast was about to take the phone but I blocked his way. His eyes travelled down to look at the gun I was slightly grasping at.

"Are you gonna get that?" Bigby asked as he pulled me back a little. I let go of my gun and kept close to Bigby. Beast looked hesitant but picked up the phone anyway, but when he picked up he put it down immediately.

"What the fuck was that?" Bigby asked.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Beast said as he turned away, not meeting our eyes. "Probably just a…wrong number. Really?" I looked at Beauty who looked panicked. "I think we're one digit off from some pizza place." I huffed and started to walk towards the door.

"Fine. I'm sure you can handle whatever this is on your own. I'll see ya later." Bigby said. Beauty stepped in front of me to stop me. I backed up again when she started to talk.

"Please, Lexy, Bigby…wait." Beauty said. She crossed her arms again, letting us know she was uncomfortable with this. "We've been getting…horrible phone calls. It's the Crooked Man's people, trying to collect, and…we aren't safe, even in our own home." Beast tried to comfort his wife but seemed scared himself.

"We owe…some money." Beast said.

"Finally." Bigby said. "All I care about is how can we find the Crooked Man? Who do we talk to? Where do we go?" Beast and Beauty turned to each other and hugged. It would have been cute if we weren't in this situation.

"The Lucky Pawn. That's where I borrowed the money. The Crooked Man's behind that place. I'd overheard people talking to Jersey about loans before. So…when I needed money…That's where I went. I didn't know what to do." Beauty said.

"Wait, who's Jersey?" I asked.

"The Jersey Devil?" Beauty said though it sounded more as a question. I looked at Bigby who glared at the sound of the guy's name.

"Oh, yeah…That slimy prick… I didn't realize he was back on this side of the river." Bigby said.

"And those Tweedles were always going in and out, probably dropping off a loan payment they squeezed out of some poor Fable. But never the Crooked Man. Mainly it's just regular Fables. I can see now that it was a mistake, but…I'm not the only one who goes there, y'know. I saw the Woodsman's axe there just the other day. It was in a display case." Beauty explained.

"I guess he's hit hard times, too." Beast said. "There's a lot of that going around. I can't imagine he has a lot of 'marketable skills.'"

"Fucking Bloody Mary must go through there." Bigby said. "She had Woody's axe last night. Tried to chop mine and Lexy's damn heads off with it!" He growled.

"Maybe if you go there you can…sort some things out." Beauty suggested.

"I guess we'll go check out the Lucky Pawn." Bigby said. "If we can't track down the Crooked Man there, maybe I can make enough noise that the Crooked Man will come find me." I looked at him with my arms crossed. What does that idiot pup think he's doing?

"Hold on, Bigby, don't go there. Sounds like you're just going to get Beauty in trouble. And…" Beast trailed off and went to sit down with Beauty next to him. "You know that butcher shop? The Cut Above? It's the place on Tubman Street. Same block as the baker and the candlestick maker." I gave them a weird look but shook my head, not really in the mood to question things. I just watched Bigby pace in front of them. "Well, I've been delivering packages from there for a while. The thing is…it's for the Crooked Man. And…I don't think it's meat in the packages. Y-you gotta understand, I needed work."

"Listen to me very carefully. Did you ever deliver to the Crooked Man? Can you give me an address?" Bigby asked, his voice low and threatening.

"No." Beast said. "I delivered to places all over town. But never to the man himself. It never seems to be heading to the same place. But it always comes out of the butcher shop."

"How did you get in this mess?" I asked.

"Johann, the Butcher, called. He had a problem with the refrigeration unit one night." Beast said to me before he turned to glare at Bigby. "But when I finished, it was your pal, Mary, who showed up to pay me. She said I was reliable, she liked that, and…It's the only thing I've been able to pick up. And it's still not enough. I don't want Beauty to have to work. Especially not where she was."

"Mary? That bitch?" I said angrily.

"It's Mary you deal with? Bloody Mary is there?" Bigby said.

"No, Johann is the one who hands over the packages. You know, day to day. But I've seen her around there." Beast said, he looked uncomfortable just talking about her. "She, uh…gets under my skin, you know? I…I try to avoid her… But I don't need to tell you what she's like."

"You're damn right you don't. We don't need a run down on her reputation." Bigby growled. "If Mary works outta there, we need to look into it…" Beauty took Beast's hand, trying to comfort him.

"I just wanted to provide for Beauty. Give her the kind of life she deserves." Beast said.

"We shouldn't have to live like this. Scraping to get by." Beauty said.

"None of us should." Beast said. Bigby looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "We were royalty once. We were accustomed to a certain lifestyle. All we want is to make this place feel a little bit like home. You wouldn't understand, Bigby." My eyes widened when Beast said this. This is going to piss Bigby off.

"I don't need to understand. It's not my fucking job to understand. My job is to keep Fabletown safe." Bigby said. I was kinda surprised that he handled it so calmly.

"So…where are you going?" Beast asked. "If this all goes sideways, I'd like to know where it's coming from."

"So what's it gonna be, pup?" I asked. He looked at me and took my wrist, pulling me towards the door.

"I want to know what the Crooked Man is hiding at that butcher shop." Bigby said, he stopped walking and turned towards Beauty and Beast.

"You know, Bigby, once you show up there, word is gonna spread." Beauty said. "There may be nothing left for you to see if you go to the Lucky Pawn after."

"Well, I guess we'll find out." Bigby said, pulling me along again. He let go of my wrist once we were out the apartment.

"Wait…I don't know what you two are planning to do when you find the Crooked Man, but is there any way either of you could…help us out?" Beast asked from behind us.

"What do you mean?" Bigby asked when he turned back to face him.

"Well, maybe you two can make this all just…go away." Beast said.

"We would really appreciate it." Beauty added. "What do you say?"

"Can you help us out?" Beast asked.

"You're asking us to kill him, aren't you? Is that what you think we do?" Bigby said.

"No! Of course not." Beauty said.

"I don't know how you'd get that idea." Beast said. Yeah, right. They did want us to kill him and they did think we only kill people off. "We just…we know that the Crooked Man is dangerous. To all of Fabletown."

"I'm gonna do my job. Lucky for you, that might just solve your problems anyway." Bigby said while we started to walk away again.

"Oh, thank you." Beauty said, relieved that there might be an end to this mess.

"I'm sure you'll do the right thing." Beast said. A while later Bigby and I walked out the Woodlands.

"We'll take my car." I said. When we were standing next to my car, me on the driver's side, I stopped and leaned my arms on my car.

"Something wrong?' Bigby asked. I looked up into his eyes and answered him.

"Beauty is right, you know." He raised an eyebrow and motioned me to go on. "If we go to one place, the other might hold nothing for us anymore. I think it's best if we split up." I said.

"Like hell we are." He growled. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't do that."

"I know but-"

"No, Lexy! I'm not losing you out of my sight." Bigby said.

"I can handle myself, Bigby." I said and smiled at him. "I'm a big girl." He looked down at his hand that was already grasping the handle to open the car.

"I know you can." He said before he looked up at me. My smile faded and I stood upright. "I just don't want anything to happen…and..." He cleared his throat and pulled at his tie, as if it was starting to strangle him. "I need someone who can calm me down." He said. My eyes widened and I cursed my cheeks when I felt them glow with heat.

"Okay…" I swallowed the lump in my throat away and smiled at Bigby. "We stay together." I said and stepped into my car. A second later Bigby followed my example. We drove towards the Butcher shop in silence. When we got to the Butcher it was already afternoon. When we entered, Bigby took a long pull from his cigarette. That is, until he saw the so smoking sign in front of him. He just kept smoking, he didn't care. I huffed and he shrugged at me.

Bigby looked at empty ticket reel and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Hm…Empty. Either he's got a whole lot of customers, or he doesn't have any." Bigby looked around and said. "Right."

"I wouldn't be surprised." I said as I looked at the meat. Bigby also looked at it and stared at the meat with a sad look.

"Not very appetizing." He said. "Frozen solid…Who'd wanna eat this?"

"No one obviously." I said as I looked around at the empty shop. Bigby was about to enter through the counter door but the doors opened. A bald man stepped out, wiping his apron. When he looked up at us he looked surprised and scared.

"Bigby wolf?" We just stared at him. The Butcher cleared his throat and walked closer to us, still behind the counter. "Well, welcome, Sheriff and Miss…"

"Lexy." I said.

"Lexy. What can I get for ya and your lady? You interested in a…particular cut?" The Butcher asked. Bigby took a pull from his cigarette before he blew the smoke into the man's face. The man scratched his neck as he took a look at the meat. "Um, let's see…what do we have in stock…" Bigby dropped his cigarette and stepped on it. I gave him a look but he just ignored it. "Let's, ah…let's see what we got here… Flank steak, on special. New York strip, uh… Oh, I can have some wild boar in tomorrow, if ya like." The man had crouched down to look at the meat. Bigby walked up and bent over to look through the glass at the Butcher.

"We know Bloody Mary hangs around here. We wanna talk to her." Bigby said.

"I…I don't know what you mean." The Butcher said while standing back up. "What you see is…what you get. Just…meat. You won't find anything else. We just, uh…We do more whole-sale and meat packing than walk-up service. I'd like to help you two. Really, I would. But there's uh, nothing…here."

"And what if we do find something here?" I said.

"'Cause if you haven't been straight with us…" Bigby threatened.

"Really, Sheriff, Miss Lexy, you won't." The Butcher said.

"We'll see about that." Bigby said.

"I…Sheriff, I-" The Butcher started to back off in fear. He turned around for a second before he turned back to us. "Did you hear that?" The Butcher asked while he walked to the doors behind the counter. But I saw him push something.

"Wha-"

"What the hell was that?" I hissed. The Butcher looked at me scared.

"Oh, I'm real sorry. Hold on, I-I just gotta go check on that. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." The man opened the doors to leave the shop.

"Butcher." Bigby warned.

"I just have to go see…" The Butcher said before he disappeared through the doors. I immediately lifted the counter door and looked at a red button.

"Shit, Bigby he warned them!" I said. He stood next to me in a second and looked at the red button.

"Shit." He said, angry that he didn't notice that. We walked towards the doors and entered the room where the Butcher kept his meat. The doors closed behind us as we looked around the dead pigs.

"I got it covered back here, Sheriff. I'll be right out." We heard the Butcher say. I mentioned to Bigby to take the left side while I went to my right. I pulled out the gun that was chained to my belt before I walked between the dead pigs.

"Just wait out front, I'll be right there." I heard the Butcher say. "I-I've got a bit of a mess back here. Look, er, c-c-can you come back tomorrow, maybe?"

"What's the problem? I'm just coming back to give you a hand." Bigby said. The way he said it made shivers go down my spine. He sounded so creepy and the scenery didn't help.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff, but you're not supposed to be back here. For, uh…safety purposes."

"We just want to help. That can't be so bad, right?" I said my voice sounded louder in this room.

"U-uh, this really isn't a place for a lady, Miss Lexy." The Butcher said.

"Don't worry about me. I've seen worse." I said.

"Fuck this…" I heard Bigby say, his reply made me smile a little. I must be close to him because I heard him louder than before.

"It's not for everyone. Don't sweat it Sheriff. Just go on to the front." I looked to my right to see a white blob moving.

"Found ya." I whispered.

"They're gonna kill me…oh god, she is gonna fucking kill me…He's gonna get me killed." The Butcher mumbled to himself. I walked out from between the dead pigs at the same time as Bigby. We glanced at each other before we watched the Butcher lift some boxes and placed them to the other side.

"What are you hiding behind that door, huh?" Bigby asked, scaring the Butcher. The man dropped a box he was holding and backed away. Bigby and I slowly crept up to him.

"Plea-please, Bigby. Please don't." The Butcher stuttered.

"Bigby? What happened to 'Sherrif?'?" Bigby snapped.

"Please don't kill me, Sheriff." The Butcher begged. "I don't wanna die. Please…please don't kill me."

"If you don't talk, I might have to do just that. Is that what you want, Johann?" Bigby threatened him. I frowned but kept a firm grip on my gun.

"No, no please…you don't have to do that. I'm dead…either way. They said to me, 'Johann, you can keep your life and lose your shop, or lose both.' What would you do? I-It was a simple choice to make, in the moment. Easy even, when they got you on a hook in the deep freeze…" The Butcher said.

"They? Do you mean Mary? Bloody Mary?" Bigby asked.

"This isn't my shop anymore! That crew took it from me a long time ago." Johann said.

"Crew?" I asked. The Butcher looked down and cursed to himself.

"The Crooked Man's people." He said. "Jersey Devil… Dee and Dum…and that mental case Bloody Mary. You wanna talk about the real butcher? It's her, not me. This is her place." I saw Bigby look down at his bandaged arm, I guess he's holding a grudge. Hell, who wouldn't. Bigby brushed Johann aside as he walked to those doors Johann was standing in front of. "I'm telling you, they muscled in on me. Took over storage and delivery a long time ago. All 'cause of that heatwave…That summer was even hotter than this one. I let Mary and those porkers stay cool in the meat locker one day. Playing cards, having a great time. I guess they were sizing the place up. Shows what I get for being nice. I'm just a victim in this." Bigby turned around to look at Johann who was looking down in misery.

"I don't know what they do back there. I swear. And I don't want to know."

"Well, we're about to see what's back there. And then we'll see if we believe you." Bigby said.

"I knew this would happen." The Butcher said. I rolled my eyes as the Butcher kept talking. Bigby bent through his knees and started to pull the door open. I heard him groan, making me look at him in concern. I knew he was still in pain. I bent down next to him and helped him lift the door. The lock broke under our strength (mostly Bigby's) and we lifted the door open. We walked in and looked around. The red lamp burning took my attention. Under that stood the word 'RUN!' Bigby and I glared as we looked around the room.


	12. In Sheep's Clothing Part 3

I looked around the room in wonder. While walking further in the room, my foot touched something. I looked down and frowned at the blood-soaked shackles that lie at my feet.

"What is this place?" Bigby asked from behind me.

"I told you Bigby. I don't know. They muscled me out!" Johann answered. "I swear, I don't know anything more. I haven't been back here when it was like this." I turned to Bigby to see him look at the warning light.

"Warning lights…" Bigby said to himself.

"The business…it's all I've ever had." The Butcher said, taking Bigby's attention from the light.

"Damnit, you can't act like you're forced into his, and then turn around and help them. They'd still be here if you hadn't flipped that switch out here!" Bigby said, angry that Mary had been able to get away.

"I had to!" The Butcher said and huffed at us before he turned his back to us. "You come in here, making trouble for me…but you only give a shit now 'cause the Crooked Man stepped on your toes or something. When were you when they took this place from me?" Johann ranted as he turned to look at Bigby. Though he backed off when Bigby glared at him. "It hasn't been easy for me…" The Butcher's angry tone had reverted back to his scared, innocent one. "Y-you think I wanna live with this at my back? I needed help…"

"Bullshit." I sighed and shook my head in annoyance.

"Alright Johann, do me a favour, just shut the fuck up and stay out of the way. Can you manage that?" Bigby said threateningly.

"Bigby." Said wolf turned around as I took some Glamour tubes out of a box.

"So this is what Beast was delivering. Glamours…other kinds of magic." Bigby said as he looked at the table full of chemistry supplies. "Could be dangerous stuff."

"This looks like some mad scientist's lab." I said.

"Maybe just don't touch anything back here? Please?"

"We're busy here, Johann. Keep your mouth shut." I said to the Butcher. Bigby looked at the chemistry tools on the table.

"What are they making here?" Bigby asked.

"I'm just a butcher. You wanna talk T-bones? That I can do. This stuff is outta my league." The Butcher said.

"There are a lot of nasty spells you could make with the right equipment…" Bigby said. I looked took at the jars that were standing on a few shelves.

"Dragon wort, Star of the North…Clear Eye? What the fuck is this shit?" I said.

"These are raw materials for making magic." Bigby said from behind me. I looked at the jars with disgust. "Aunty Greenleaf and any other rogue witches out there probably get their supplies here." I walked towards the giant chalkboard and looked at the numbers. I took a step back and stared at the numbers and letters written on it.

"Looks like…math, or something." Bigby said. I gave him an amused look before I pushed a part of the chalkboard towards the right. I stepped back as I saw all the names on the board.

"Son of a bitch." I said as I recognized some names.

"Is everybody on here?" Bigby said before he turned to Johann. "You know anything about this?"

"I-I-I don't know…a lot of Fables out there need a lotta things…" The Butcher answered.

"Don't you see what's going on here? All these Fables…getting magic from him. Business is booming. He's got all he needs. The raw materials…And with all this gear…looks like they could make just about any kind of magic. A lot of it. And it's pretty clear why…" Bigby said as he looked around the room.

"Oh yeah? Why?" Johann asked.

"These shackles…he's using slave labour… No wonder people are coming to him for magic. Doing it like this…it's bound to be cheaper than the 13th floor." Bigby said.

"That's just sick." I said as I looked at the shackles.

"This is just horrible." Johann said. "The things that must have gone on here…"

"It's the Pudding n' Pie girl with the ribbons… Whoever he's got here in these chains…He's…He's enslaving Fables. On my watch." I walked over to Bigby when I heard the guilt in his voice. I put a hand on his arm, making him look at me.

"Don't. You didn't know. You couldn't have known, not while this was kept a secret." I said. He looked down at his feet making me squeeze his shoulder a little. "Don't guilt trip yourself." I whispered. Bigby put one of his hands over mine, making me feel small and breakable.

"People just don't know the real cost of getting something cheap." Bigby said.

"You don't have to tell me." Johann said from behind us. Suddenly Bigby's face turned from serious to seething. He slammed his hands down on the table.

"And that fucker Crane knew all about it!" Bigby growled.

"Yeah, what about Crane?" I turned to glare at Johann. Yeas, why don't you make puppy over here angrier than he already is? Because that sounds like a freaking great idea! Bigby walked me towards the chalkboard and we both looked at it. "If this all… I mean, if finding the Crooked Man is so fucking important….why don't you ask your boss!?"

"Snow?" Bigby asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, Crane!" Of course, Johann didn't know that Crane was taken by the Crooked Man. "He said he knows where everybody is. I don't know how, but he's got some way… That's right, it was that creepy Magic Mirror! With the big green head, and all… Why don't you just use that? Fine the Crooked Man that way…and leave me alone. Yeah, with stuff like that mirror, I'm surprised that you ever need to leave the Office."

"Crane shattered the mirror and made off with one of the pieces." Bigby said. "He probably still has the shard with him…"

"That or…" Bigby looked at me with a curious look. "Johann, do you know where the Crooked Man's people would drop their important things?"

"Well if they got their hands on an important magical item, there's only one place they'd take it." The Butcher said while walking further into the room. We looked at him in wonder and he smiled at us. "The Lucky Pawn. They probably took Crane there too…"

"The Lucky Pawn…And if we can find the mirror piece there, we can find the Crooked Man." Bigby said as we started to walk out.

"Hey! Hold on!" Johann said from behind us. We turned back to him as he the Butcher walked up to us. "Well, I'm real happy you found what you're looking for, Bigby, Lexy, but what about me?"

"Huh?" Bigby and I said at the same time.

"Do you two really think this is gonna be all right? Of all the stuff in here, I do know one thing. That's his icon. His symbol. What kind of a guy uses a torture device as his icon? The kind of guy who isn't going to be understanding about Bigby Wolf and his partner showing themselves in. So tell me this… What the hell am I supposed to do now?" The Butcher asked.

"It's gonna be okay." I said and gave the bald man a smile.

"You won't have to worry, Johann. We're gonna take 'em down." Bigby added while pulling out his cigarettes.

"Thank you…Thank you, Sherrif, Miss Lexy." Johann said. I nodded while Bigby just gave him a look. We walked out but before we left the shop, Bigby turned the sign around from open to 'closed'. We went back to my car and drove towards the Lucky Pawn. When we got there I parked my car before we entered the shop.

"Jersey, don't-don't give me that shit. What the fuck is the point of havin' a system if you're just gonna-" We stopped listening to the bickering going on when the door closed loudly from behind us.

"Jack! What the fuck is going on?" Bigby asked when we saw the blond man.

"I'm, uh, just gonna, uh…you know." We looked towards the two people in the shop. I recognized Woody from the two.

"If you love your axe so fuckin' much, why'd you-" We turned around when Jack suddenly ran off. We went to go after him but we stopped when we heard someone groan. I was about to go after Jack but Bigby stopped me with a stern look.

"I didn't pawn it, asshole. It was stolen from my apartment." We turned around and Bigby opened the already half opened gate.

"So get the fuck outta my sight! Hit the bricks. See ya later." The red-haired man said as he pushed Woody back.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Bigby said as we walked up to them.

"What the fuckin' Hell?!" Woody suddenly yelled.

"Christ. And this fuckin' guy, too?" The redhead looked past Bigby at me. "And who the hell are you?"

"None of your business." I said.

"Are you kidding me? It was here, it was right fuckin' here! What's you do with it?" Woody asked the redhead.

"How the fuck do I know?" The redhead answered. By the way, what's with the yellow and orange sunglasses?

"Listen, you bald little dipshit, you're gonna-" Woody was cut off when the redhead punched him in the gut. "You piece of shit." Woody said after he regained his breath, he pulled his fist back and landed a punch on the man's face. The redhead punched back when he regained his setting. Bigby and I exchanged a look before we both pushed one man back.

"Cool it, Woody." Bigby said as he stood in front of Woody.

"Calm down." I said with a stern voice as I faced the bald man. Though he had some hair on the back of his head, hence why I called him redhead.

"Back off, Dog!" Woody said. "This doesn't concern you! We don't need the Business Office involved in this shit! I just want what's mine. My axe." While Woody said this the man in front me and I were having a stare down.

"What is your fucking problem?" Bigby snarled.

"Just stay out of my way, alright!" For some reason I started to think about the weirdness of this…No not that they were fighting but that the Big Bad Wolf wasn't as tall as all other males we've met.

"Out of my way lassie." He pushed me aside with a lot of strength, making my ribs hurt badly when I landed against the counter. "How you feeling today, Sheriff?"

"Bigby!" I yelled to warn him but I was too late. The redhead had punched Bigby hard in the back of his head. Bigby bent over for a second before he turned around, his teeth bared in anger.

"Still looking for whoever killed them hookers or are you done chasing your tail?" I don't know how but Bigby side stepped and Woody took the man by his neck. He pulled him towards where I was standing but I jumped aside. Woody slammed the man's face into the counter that was made of glass.

"Where's my axe! Who'd you give it to!" Woody asked while holding the redhead in the glass.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" I asked as Bigby crossed his arms.

"Are you?" Bigby asked. I shrugged and let go of my side as the pain dimmed.

"This is my fight, damnit." Woody said before he suddenly turned to us. "Go sniff around somewhere else." We were about to answer but we saw the redhead turn into something more ugly.

"Woody." Bigby warned.

"Wha-" Woody also turned around to look at the redhead. The man had turned skinnier and taller. His skin was grey and antlers came from his head. Only when he turned around we could see that his head was now a skeleton head from an animal. He roared at us and blocked Woody's attack. Woody was pushed on the ground, blocking the punches that the Jersey Devil was giving. Bigby stepped in and gave the Jersey Devil a powerful kick. Bigby's beard had grown and his hair was slightly longer. His beautiful brown puppy eyes had turned into yellow ones.

"Aww, protecting your friend…too bad you couldn't protect those whores." The Jersey devil climbed onto the counter and laughed. "Go on, try to stop me." Before anyone could blink I had pulled out my Angel blade and threw it at him. He screamed when the blade buried itself deep into his shoulder. He screeched and jumped at me but Bigby had slammed him out of the air.

"Fucking stay down!" Bigby growled. Bigby and I took a hold of the gate and pulled it down, slamming it down on Jersey's back. We tried to do it a second time but Jersey managed to get a hold onto the gate and pushed it up. Jersey pushed me to the other side of the room. I crashed right into the counter. When I fell some glass pierced my skin painfully. I hissed but looked to see Bigby breaking off one of Jersey's antlers before he stabbed Jersey with it.

"Fuck you!" Jersey threw Bigby off of him. Suddenly an idea struck me.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas," Jersey screeched loudly before he turned to me. "That works?" I asked myself. He was about to come at me but Bigby stopped him again. Jersey pushed Bigby back and to my horror pushed his sharp nails into Bigby's previous broken arm. Jersey opened his mouth and started biting at Bigby. Luckily Bigby was able to turn his head away.

"Omnis incursion infernalis adversarii!" I yelled. Jersey screamed again, making it easier for Bigby to grab Jersey's neck.

"Hey, asshole!" I looked at Woody who lifted his axe. "I found her." He swung his axe right into Jersey's head. Jersey hit Woody, making him fall on the ground. Bigby however was now free and able to fight again. I need to get back up. I lifted myself a bit and looked at a fairly large glass piece sticking out of me.

"Shit." I grunted before taking a hold of the glass. I took it out just when Bigby slammed an anvil onto Jersey's head. Bigby backed off and turned back to his human self. Woody took his axe out of Jersey's head. I stood up and turned my head when I heard Jersey roar. My eyes widened when I saw him coming at me before Bigby or Woody could stop him. My shock was gone in a second when my body took action. I pulled back my fist and collided it with his jaw. I threw two punches to his gut, turned him around and kicked him in his back on the ground. The boys that were still standing looked shocked when I ripped off my blouse (I was wearing a top under it, mind you). I threw it down in front of Jersey's face and glared.

"That was my favourite, you ass." I said before I took a hold of my bleeding side. I stepped on his side to keep him down. Woody came out of his state of shock and held his axe above Jersey's neck. Woody nodded at Bigby who smiled appreciatively. Bigby bent through his knees to look at Jersey.

"The Magic Mirror's missing shard! Where is it!? Bloody Mary brought it here, didn't she?" Bigby said.

"You don't know anything…about anything, do you? What do you have? Nothin'. That useless bitch, Snow White, a broken fuckin' mirror…" Jersey turned his head to look at me. "And now some mundane slut. No fuckin' friends." I lifted my foot and the heel of my shoe pierced through his skin.

"You wanna say that again?" I said with a smirk. "By the way. Nice to meet you, I'm Bigby's friend." I said. Bigby looked up at me and smiled before he mockingly smiled at Jersey.

"Nothing? I still have you, don't I?" Bigby said.

"You can't find the Crooked Man. No one can. The door to his house…it bounces around. Never in one spot. You'll never find it. Even Crane had to use the Magic Mirror…They dumped all his shit here. Bloody Mary uses this place like her fuckin' dump." Jersey said.

"Where's Crane's stuff? Where'd they put it?" Bigby said.

"In back." Jersey said. Bigby and I looked to our side and saw an open closet where one familiar jacket was hanging. Bigby motioned for me to go with him. I nodded but before I followed Bigby I dug my heel a little deeper into Jersey's side. We jumped over the counter and looked at the jacket. "Just go on. Get Crane's shit and go. Not that it's gonna do _you_ any good…" Jersey said.

"See anything?" Woody asked, still holding the axe above Jersey's neck.

"Crane's coat." Bigby said. He pulled the jacket open, revealing 3 inside pockets. Bigby opened the one on the bottom and pulled out a roll of money. "No time for travellers checks, huh? He won't be needing this anymore." Bigby said as he put the money in his pocket.

"And you're the sheriff." I asked with a closed eyed smile. Bigby bumped his shoulder to mine teasingly. The pocket in the middle held a small torn off picture from Snow.

"That sick piece of…" I put my hand on his shoulder to calm Bigby down. Luckily it worked. He opened the last pocket and took out a piece of glass.

"The shard. It's the shard! Finally." Bigby and I smiled at each other before we turned and jumped over the counter. We went towards the door together with Woody.

"Hey…Sheriff. Those girls are still dead…and there's nothin' you can do to bring them back. And I don't know what they did, but I do know this…If they're dead, it's because the Crooked Man wanted them dead. That's all it takes. So you can roar, smash the place up. Shit, you can wail on me all you want, but what good is it gonna do ya? 'Cause he ain't in your town. You're in his." Jersey grunted out. Suddenly Jersey laughed and turned to me. "And you! The hunter, they have plans for you alright. You're next on the list. You should have stayed away from the mutt." Bigby suddenly turned around and kicked Jersey on his neck.

"Just shut the fuck up, will ya?" Bigby said. We walked out and stopped when Bigby took his cigarettes. Maybe the scent of blood is overwhelming him. He _is_ covered by splatters of blood, that can't feel good.

"Got a smoke?" Woody asked. Bigby lighted his cigarette but handed it over to Woody. Bigby took another while Woody thanked him. "Shitty brand." Woody said.

"You're welcome." Bigby said.

"I'm not gonna lie, I was having trouble deciding which one of you to hit with this thing." Woody said. "Jersey was wrong, you know."

"About what?" Bigby said.

"About those girl. There is somethin' you can do about it. You can get the fucker who did it." Woody said. "Ain't that the plan?"

"Yeah. You're damn right it is." Bigby said with a smirk.

"I'm going to go get the car." I said and ran towards my car. I jumped in and drove towards Bigby. I stopped next to him, letting him step in.

"Bigby…" I heard Woody say. I saw Bigby turn to him through the now opened passenger door. "Keep her close. I don't think Jersey was joking about her." Woody said. "Not many of us get a happy ending these days." I didn't hear what Bigby answered but it seemed to satisfy Woody. Woody walked off but Bigby hesitated.

"Hey Woody," Bigby said. "You gonna be alright?"

"You know me." Woody said over his shoulder before he started walking again. Bigby stepped into the car and closed the door. I smiled while we were driving.

"What ae you so happy about?" Bigby asked.

"That was sweet, asking him if he was going to be okay." I said and glanced at him.

"Thanks." He said while scowling.

"Still the pup." I chuckled and concentrated back on the road. When we arrived back at the Office, we heard Bluebeard bickering.

"I don't care who killed the prostitutes, if Crane was helping himself to the community coffers, it means his hand was in my pocket. And you just let him go!"

"I don't know what you heard, but it didn't happen like that." Snow said.

"Are you denying the fact?" Baldie said.

"She's denying me the chance to get a word in. Now, Miss White, I-" What's Toad doing here? Bigby and I slowly walked over when Bufkin saw us.

"Sheriff Bigby and Miss Singer have returned!" The flying green monkey said.

"Ah, there's the ole wrecking ball, himself! And he brought the hunter with him." Toad said. Snow stood up and walked around her desk to come stand in front of us.

"Bigby, Lexy, where have you two been?" Snow said.

"I'm not finished here, Miss White-"

"You will have to wait!" Snow interrupted Baldie before sighing. "Just one moment, please." Snow turned back to us but mainly looked at Bigby.

"Look what we found." Bigby took out the shard and showed it to Snow. She looked at it in surprise before looking at us. Bigby and I smirked at her.

"Seems your dog wants a biscuit." Bluebeard said, making Bigby glare at him.

"Bufkin! Get this piece in the mirror, right away!" Snow said as the monkey flew towards us.

"With pleasure, Ms. White!" Bigby held the shard up as Bufkin flew by. While flying Bufkin took the shard out of Bigby's hand. We turned back to Snow who sighed in relief.

"Finally. Things are swinging back in the right direction. Good work, Bigby, Lexy." Snow said. "You've been gone all day. What did you uncover? I thought you were going to report back to me. I mean, it's fine… So what else did you find out?"

"I gotta say…this thing reaches a lot further than we thought. The Crooked Man has something on everybody. It wasn't just Beauty and the loan. Beast was working for him. His goon, the Jersey Devil, is putting the squeeze on all kinds if Fables down at the Lucky Pawn." Bigby's tone got angrier by the second. "And he's got Fables enslaved at the butcher shop, making black market magic."

"This is worse than we could have imagined…" Snow said.

"Well that's about to end." I said. "Now that we have the mirror fixed, we've got the Crooked Man."

"That's how Crane did it. And that's how we're gonna do it." Bigby said.

"Excellent work. Really." Snow said and smiled at Bigby. I quietly huffed and looked away.

"Sheriff, Miss Lexy, I could use your assistance. Would you join me at the mirror?" Bufkin was suddenly at the desk as he said this before he went back to the mirror. Bigby and I followed him.

"Don't go far, Sheriff. I'd like to have a few words of my own with you." Bluebeard said from behind us.

"Why don't you go fuck off until I'm good and ready?" Bigby said, making me smile. Now that was the best I've heard him saying. When we got to the mirror we saw Bufkin still with the shard in his hand.

"I don't understand…this piece just doesn't want to join the rest. Do you have any idea why?" Bufkin asked.

"You got me." Bigby said and I just shrugged.

"Well, where did you find it? What has it gone through since being separated from the rest? Shattering is a very traumatic experience, you know. So this process can be a little touchy.

"It had a front row seat to a pretty gnarly brawl at the Lucky Pawn. When we found it, it was still in Crane's coat." Bigby said.

"The last person that we saw with Crane was that crazy bitch, Bloody Mary. Maybe she had some-"

"Ah, yes. Miss White was asking about her." Bufkin interrupted me. "That explains it! You-know-who and the Mirror have a very…unhappy history with each other. How would you like it if she tried to use you as a doorway?"

"I think I already know the feeling…" Bigby said.

"Well, I think I know who to proceed, now. It will just take a little extra…coaxing. That's all. Thank you for your help." Bufkin said as he returned to the mirror. When he saw that we weren't leaving he spoke up again. "It could be a while. I'll find you when it's ready. Besides which…he might not want to come out with you watching."

"Oh, he doesn't like being spied on?" Bigby said and Bufkin just shrugged and smiled. We walked away from the mirror towards Snow.

"Is it fixed? Did you ask about the Crooked Man?" Snow said as she walked towards us.

"Bufkin's still working on it. He said it might be a while." Bigby said. We looked towards Toad and Bluebeard as they were bickering loudly.

"I can't take those two right now. We're trying to catch a murderer, and they're…They're over there bickering about bureaucracy! We're…at war! Don't they realize that?" Snow said. Bigby looked back at the arguing men before turning back to Snow.

"Do you need some help over there?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks. Go talk to Toad. But, just so you know, we can't pay him. He really needs to go to the farm, you know. So, just break the news and be done with it, okay?" While Snow was saying this I bent slightly over. The wound that I got from the glass was still aching.

"Say, you don't have a needle, a strong thread and some strong alcohol laying around here do you?" I asked. Snow frowned while Bigby gave me a curious look. "Or an aid kit would do fine." Snow went to her desk and pulled out an aid kit and a bottle of strong alcohol. I didn't even bother to ask where she got the alcohol from. "Thanks." I said and limped over to another desk. I put down the things on the desk before I pulled up my top a little to reveal the bloody cut.

"Oh my…"I heard Snow whisper.

"Lex why didn't you tell me." Bigby asked sounding upset.

"Like that would have helped any of us." I aid as I made sure my top wouldn't get in the way. I opened the first aid kit and sighed in relief as I saw a needle and thread in it. I took them out and prepared it to sew my own wound.

"Don't tell me you're going to-"

"Patch myself up? I'll shut up than." I looked over my shoulder at Bigby and Snow who looked shocked. I sighed before I took the alcohol, ready to pour some of it on the wound and the needle.

"Wait!' I looked at Snow who was already looking kind of pale. "I'll call Swineheart. He'll-"

"No. No doctors. Don't worry I've done this a lot for bigger wounds." I said. I hissed and bit my tongue when the alcohol touched my wound. I cursed under my breath as I took the needle. I started to patch the wound up, hissing some times when it hurt. When I was done I threw the bloody needle in the trash. I took the band aids that were in the first aid kit. I wrapped it a few time around my waist before I cut it off. I sighed as I pulled down my top. I looked back at them and smiled. Snow shook her head while Bigby looked a little concerned.

"So, are we going to talk to the Toad?" I said. Bigby hesitatingly nodded and walked over next to me to lean against the desk. Snow went back to her desk and called Bluebeard to her.

"Are you okay?" Bigby whispered. I nodded and smiled up at him. "Toad! Come here." Said Fable rolled his eyes at Bigby before coming over.

"I see how it is. Passed off to an underling eh? Why am I not surprised?" Mr. Toad said. "Well you did cause what damage brings me in here, so maybe it's for the best. Just need a little bit of dosh to cover it. I tried talking to her about it, but it's like chatting up a brick wall, it is." Toad pointed behind him at Snow who was talking to Bluebeard. "Now I'm sure you and your lass got your own agendas."

"I'm starting to think you don't take me seriously, Toad. How many times have I told you to get glamoured up? You know that if you're out of glamour, I gotta send you to the farm." Bigby said.

"Well…How about your friend, the pig, hm? Is he going to the Farm too?" Bigby raised an eyebrow when Toad said this. "Yeah, you thought we didn't know about him, huh? The worst kept secret in Fabletown."

"Colin isn't your concern. You should worry about your own fucking situation, Toad." Bigby said.

"Rotten bastard…" Bigby didn't look the slightest bit amused when Toad said that. Toad noticed that and started trying to redeem himself. "Now, now that came out wrong… If you give me one more chance, and hear me out, I see a way for me and me boy to stay. I'm not gonna ask for any more than I need. I just want to say. So whaddya say you just give me enough to cover me glamours, and we'll…call the rest a wash? Please, Sheriff. Don't take TJ from the only home he knows." I looked at the Toad in pity. I glanced at Bigby who had a stern face on. "This whole glamour rule is…oppressive. I've done nothing wrong but look different." Bigby bent through his knees to get eye to eye with Toad.

"Look, I'll try to get you that money and get you another chance, but…You have to understand, that's not entirely up to me." Bigby said, making me smile at him.

"Oh, thank you Sheriff! I knew I could count on you to make me whole again. We get this sorted, and I'll be glamoured to the nines, I will." Bigby leaned back against the wall while we watched Toad walk away with a skip in his step. I couldn't help but chuckle when Toad whistled the song the dwarfs sung in Snow white's story.

"Bluebeard! You wanna talk? Now's your chance." Bigby said loudly.

"I've just made my donation funding this office, so direct your questions to Miss White." Bluebeard said before he walked out the office.

"Well, at least he's not trying to get rid of me…" Snow said as she stood up from her chair and walked over to us.

"He's not?" Bigby asked.

"For now…Did you take care of Toad? I mean…I saw the way he left… I know it may not seem that important right now. But glamours are the law for a very good reason. You know that as well as anyone." Snow said.

"Toad won't be a problem. I'll see to that." Bigby said.

"Are you sure? Because he left looking pretty happy." Snow said. Bigby gave her a smile that made Snow sigh in annoyance. "Fine. We'll deal with it later. I know I should be asking how it got like this…But I just keep wondering why it happened…to Faith and Lily. You've seen his world. Do you have any idea why he'd want them dead?"

"If there's one thing I've figured out, it's that the Crooked Man is all about control. It's what he does with the loans at the Pawn Shop, the magic he peddles…chains…ribbons. Maybe Faith and Lily weren't doing what they were told." Bigby said.

"Or…maybe they tried to leave." I added.

"Sheriff! Miss Lexy! Miss White! I believe the mirror is repaired!" Bufkin said. We stood in front of the mirror when the green face came out again.

"I have to say, I have been better…but thanks for putting me back together." The mirror said. Suddenly Snow held her hand up to stop us from asking anything.

"I'm sorry. I just…I have to know… Mirror, mirror…we're glad you weren't slain. Now please show us…that sick creep Crane." Snow snapped. I gave her a look before turning back to the mirror.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked.

"Yeah, I wanna see where he's ended up, too." Bigby said. The mirror turned black before we saw Crane with Bloody Mary next to a taxi.

"You will get on that plane to Paris and you will wait for the day the Crooked Man needs you. Until then, not a peep." She said. Otherwise, I get to deal with you my way. So please…please disobey." Mary said creepily. Suddenly her head shot up as she looked around. "Wait a minute…Someone's watching." She looked around until she looked almost straight at us. She smirked and lifted her arm. The mirror turned red as it switched back and forth to Mary and the Mirror's face. The mirror turned back to green as the Face returned.

"What…just happened?" The Mirror asked.

"We pointed you in the wrong direction…and looked at Bloody Mary's reflection." Bufkin explained.

"Oh…her. That explains the sting. I'd rather not have to feel the pain she brings. So…let's not do that again, okay?" The Mirror said.

"Looks like we'll have to track him down later." Bigby said.

"You're right. We need to focus on the immediate threat. And that's the Crooked Man. Bigby, we don't have a lot of time." Snow said.

"Just show me where I can find the Crooked Man." Bigby said.

"You have to rhyme." I said while chuckling.

"Then you do it." Bigby said while looking at me.

"Like hell I will." I said, we smirked at each other playfully before Bigby sighed.

"Uh, Mirror, mirror…no time to pout…so where does Crooked Man hang out?" Bigby said. I snorted but stopped when Bigby gave me a little push. The Mirror showed us a wooden door with a symbol on it. "I don't recognize the door, but…that's the Crooked Man's symbol on it."

"Hold on…" The symbol faded from the door and the mirror turned black for a second before showing another door. The symbol appeared on that door.

"The door…it moves…" Snow said.

"Yeah, Jersey mentioned that." Bigby said.

"Wait a minute, I now that door…" Snow said as she took a closer look.

"That's Central Park." Bigby said.

"Let's go." I said and started walking off, Bigby following behind me.

"Bigby, Lexy wait. When you get the Crooked Man…make sure you bring him back alive he has to stand trial. This can't be like it was with Tweedle Dum. I don't care if it gets out of hand. You don't let it come to that. I know that emotions can run high. And you have your reasons to handle this a certain way." Snow said.

"We'll catch him and bring him back here. Alive. Then we can clean him and cook him together." Bigby said.

"Good. I have enough to worry about here while I prepare the case against him. So, I'm going to trust you two to handle this properly. That is…if you think you're ready." Snow said.

"Of course we're ready." I said while smirking. "Let's go." Bigby and I turned and ran out of the office.

"What about taking your car?" Bigby asked through his panting.

"That'll take too long! We'll have to run!" I said, also panting. Though this time I seemed to be faster than Bigby. Were his wounds still causing him trouble? We stopped running when we finally found that door. The symbol was still on it. Bigby bared his teeth and kicked in the door. A shining light blue light came from the now open door. It looked like a portal. Bigby stepped back before he suddenly took my wrist.

"Jump on my back." He said.

"What?!" I asked, blushing at the thought of having Bigby giving me a piggyback ride.

"If the portal closes when you-"

"Yeah yeah, alright!" I interrupted him and jumped on his back. "If you let me fall, I'll make sure you can't have any puppies." I hissed in his ear. He ignored me and just started running towards the portal. We went through the portal and ended up what looked like the insides of a castle. I looked behind me to see that the doorway was gone. Okay, maybe he was right but I'm not telling him that. Bigby let me jump of his back when we heard footsteps coming towards us. I took my angel blade while Bigby stood ready to attack. We relaxed our fighting stance when we saw a young man with his leg bound up and a crutch coming around the corner. He had a friendly face as he smiled at us. Is this the Crooked Man?!

"Tim? What the hell are you doing here?" Bigby asked.

"Good evening, Sheriff." The man turned to me and smiled before nodding his head. "Nice to meet you Miss Lexy Singer." I narrowed my eyes before nodding back. So he knows my name. "I'm here to take you to the boss." Tim held out his hands towards Bigby for a handshake. Thanks, by the way…for leaving off 'tiny'. You'd think I'd have outgrown that centuries ago." Bigby took his hand and shook it for a second before letting go. "I have to admit, when they asked me to watch the door…I wasn't sure what to expect when you two came through the portal. I know you aren't here in a social call."

"Hold on, you've just been waiting for us to show up?" Bigby asked. "You knew I was coming?"

"That's what they told me. I dunno, they said you made it pretty clear." Tim said.

"We did?" I asked and Tim nodded in response. Bigby and I exchanged glances before looking at Tim. The man looked down before looking back up at us.

"I'm supposed to bring you right on in, so…if you'll come this way…" Tim pointed behind him as he said this. "Look, this is the one thing I have to do. Please, don't make this hard on me…" Just by looking at this guy told me that he was kind.

"Fine. Lead on." Bigby snapped. Tim gave us a smile and I smiled back. We started walking slowly since Tim couldn't walk that fast.

"Thanks for understanding. This is all I'm here to do, and…I don't want to mess it up." Tim said. I wasn't really listening since I concentrated myself on Bigby. He was looking straight forward with a murderous look. "I know I'm probably the last person you'd expect to be a…guard. Or an escort for that matter. I was a little surprised, myself, when they asked me to do it."

"You shouldn't be here, Tim. This place is dangerous. Especially for someone…like you." Bigby looked suddenly sad now. I bumped my hand against his to tell him I was there.

"It's…not like that. Whatever you may think of him…He doesn't treat me like some…broken little kid. I think he gets what it's like." Tim patted his leg. "He gave me a job." I looked at Tim, who looked so happy that he got a job. "And I'm lucky to have it. This is the only option I've got. Just…keep that in mind, maybe? 'Cause if you and the boss go up against each other…the rest of Fabletown is gonna get caught in the middle. And if you're here, it can't be good. So I hope you can…come to an understanding." Tim said.

"Don't you realize you're not just minding the door? You work for that crooked bastard, your hands get dirty too." Bigby said.

"It's not so bad." Tim answered.

"Not so bad? Are you fucking blind, Tim? He's a murderer." Bigby said.

"So you're telling me you agree with everything Crane does?" Ooh, touché. Bigby turned to glare at Tim. Bigby started taking larger steps, wanting to go to the Crooked Man but Tim couldn't follow that pace. "A lot of us depend on him. Some of us never get to the front of the line at the Business office. But he's there. We need you…but we need him too. What we don't need is a war. Hey, Sheriff, hold up…I gotta go in with you." Tim said.

"Bigby." I said softly, making said man stop and wait for Tim.

"Thanks." Tim said while Bigby crossed his arms over his chest. We stopped walking in front of a door with the torture symbol on it.

"Go ahead. You got a job to do." Bigby said. Tim opened the doors to let us in.

"Sheriff Wolf and Miss Singer, sir…" Tim said as Bigby and I walked in. Almost everyone in the room stood up. Jersey Devil, Some guy with a lot of tattoos, Tweedle…whatever and then some girl. Are we all supposed to fight- Wait! Someone's missing… My came out of my thoughts when Jersey took a step towards us. Luckily he was back in human form. Jersey stopped walking when a man held up his hand.

"Thank you, Tim." The guy with tattoos sat back down to reveal the man that spoke. "I know the Sheriff and his partner aren't the…accommodating sort." I glared at the man with one eye deformed. The part underneath his eye was pulled down and ended at the middle if his cheek. It was rather weird to see but I had seen worse. "But you handled it. You did well. You can go now." The doors closed behind us as Tim left us in that room. "You see? Everyone in Fabletown has a role to fill. You just have to pay attention to what they need to help them find it." The man said as he stomped his cane once. I glared around the room at every man that was sitting here. My hand went towards my hip to rest on my gun due to my hunter habits.

"Why don't you have a seat, Miss Singer, Sheriff? We have a great deal to discuss." I looked towards the one free chair that was left. Was he expecting me to sit on Bigby's lap like some lapdog?

"Alright," Bigby took a step forward, making me stand behind him. Bigby took out his cigarettes and his lighter. He put a cigarette between his lips and opened his lighter. "Let's talk."


	13. Cry Wolf Part 1

"You've come a long way." The Crooked Man said. "You must be tired." Bigby puffed out the smoke from his cigarette and looked around. I glared at Jersey when he took a gun out. "And if my envoys are correct…you haven't had a lot of rest recently… Please, Sherrif, Miss Lexy…Relax for a moment, will you?" I glared at the Crooked Man before I let the grip on my gun slack. "Do you want a drink? Something to eat?" He's rather polite for a murderer. "Vivian makes a very nice, very…it's elegant, really, her Carpaccio. It's lobster…sirloin…"

"Don't misunderstand the situation here. We? Are not friends. And you're in no position to offer us anything." Bigby said.

"On the contrary, Sheriff…and I don't wish to contradict you here…but your initiative and mine have been friendly for a long while now." Crooked Man said. "Ever since I came aboard these shores, you know…Fabletown's been very accommodating of my humble ventures. Never said a bad word. And that relationship's worked till these ends."

"That was Crane who let you do whatever you wanted. I'm. Not. Crane." Bigby said.

"No, you're not." Crooked Man answered. The silence that followed was tense. Bigby threw his cigarette on the ground. Suddenly Jersey stood up and pointed his gun at Bigby. However the second he stood up I pulled out my gun and pointed it back at Jersey. Jersey directed his gun towards me once he saw that Bigby wasn't the direct threat now.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Crooked Man said, not liking what was happening.

"They're gonna-"

"Miss Singer and Mr. Wolf are our guests. And I have every intention of cooperating. So don't waste the silver. Sit down, Jersey." Jersey looked between me and Bigby when he eventually lowered his gun and sat down. However I stayed in my position and held my gun towards his head. "Miss. Singer, can you please lower the gun?"

"I don't know. Will Bigby and I be shot full of bullets of I do?" I asked while glaring at the Crooked Man.

"There will be no shooting, you have my word." The Crooked Man said. I hesitated for a second before huffing. I let down my gun and put it back in my belt. "Well, Sheriff…For the sake of transparency, why don't you tell us why you're here…It would help settle everyone's nerves, I think."

"You know why we're here. You killed those women." Bigby said.

"What women?" This guy can't be serious right? How does he not remember the women he has killed!

"Faith and Lily. The girls who worked at the Pudding N' Pie." Bigby said.

"Did I now? I assume by your confidence in accusing me, you must have some proof of this, yes? Some allotment of evidence?"

"Big words for a killer." I said. Shit, in the end we only know what Jersey told us.

"I know you did it." I refrained myself from face palming. Bigby, with that answer you give away we have practically nothing!

"I'm sorry, Sheriff. I wish you had me dead to rights, I really do, for your own sake. But no…I didn't kill anyone." The Crooked Man said. "Those women…I don't relish telling you that the killing were perpetrated by an employee of mine." Bigby and I just kept glaring at him. "It's a very unfortunate bit of business, but…I promise you that the matter will be dealt with. Internally. I just want to settle the issue for you."

"'An unfortunate bit of business'? You're gonna tell me right now who killed them." Bigby growled.

"Sheriff, I have complete respect for you and your job. I hope you know that. But I simply can't divulge that information."

"Two women are _dead_ because of one of _your_ employee. I think we deserve to know." I said. Bigby took a threatening step forward when the Crooked Man glared at me.

"You really shouldn't worry yourselves. As I said, I've got this under control." The Crooked Man said.

"No. We're gonna deal with it. Right. Now." Bigby said.

"Yeah, right…" We turned to glare at Jersey who spoke up.

"What do you think this is? Some kind of negotiation?" The Tweedle said. Bigby walked up to him and glared. "The man said he'd take care of it. So why don't you and our bitch take the hint and get out."

"Tweedledee, please." Crooked Man said. Bigby didn't say anything, he just stared down at the Tweedle.

"He's not gonna leave, so just give him up, alright!" Jersey said through the silence.

"No! If he thinks he's gonna come in here, act all though, and we're just gonna-"

"That's enough!" The Crooked Man snapped, shutting the Tweedle up. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but…in the interest of preserving our alliance…If you have to know…it was Georgie." We looked at the man with tattoos all over his body. He smiled at us, that sick son of a bitch. "However, like I said…I'll be handling the matter if you don't mind."

"Georgie." Bigby growled.

"You got what you wanted, so just-"Jersey swallowed his words when my gun was pointed at him again. Everyone tensed except for Bigby.

"Sit. Down." I said. Georgie glanced at his boss before sitting back down.

"Yeah. I killed 'em. So what?" Georgie said with a smirk.

"You piece of shit. I should have fuckin' known." Bigby growled.

"Look, the fact is…George here misinterpreted one of my instructions…" The Crooked Man said.

"Misinterpreted…?" Georgie yelled.

"And I want to make things right. So…let's work something out." The Crooked Man said.

"What's there to work out?! I'm protected, aren't I?" Georgie said, clearly panicking.

"Your protection has limits… and I think you've far exceeded yours. That you could murder someone in cold blood like that…" The Crooked Man said.

"You fuckin' asked me to do this! You told me to kill them!" Georgie started but Crooked Man started talking to.

"And then attempt to blame me for it!" The Crooked Man said while he slammed his cane on the ground once. "You will be silent…while we discuss what to do with you."

"This is right bollocks, this!" Georgie shouted angrily. He looked around at his 'colleges' with a glare set on his face. "You're just gonna let him do this?" Nobody answered him.

"So what do you say, Sheriff, Lexy? Can we discuss terms? You can have Georgie…Consider it a gift…ensuring our continued cooperation." Crooked said.

"What the Hell?" The woman, Vivian, next to him said. I glared at her and she shut up.

"Take this fucker! Take all of 'em! I didn't fuckin' start this!" Georgie raised his voice only to be interrupted by Jersey.

"Don't make any trouble, Georgie." I groaned and gently massaged my forehead. Their bickering is annoying.

"Alright. Let's talk." Bigby said.

"You can't just hand me over!" Georgie said, looking at the Crooked Man. Georgie stood up while glaring at Crooked. "What the fuck is this shit! You said you'd cover for us!"

"For minor infractions, not murder." The Crooked Man calmly said.

"Just go with them, Georgie! You're gonna sink us all!" Jersey said.

"What's wrong with you people! You're really gonna sell him out just like that?" Vivian said.

"You think I give a fuck if I'm the one who-"Georgie interrupted himself before looking at the Tweedle. "Who the shit do you think you fuckers are?" Jersey and the Tweedle started bickering with Georgie.

"I do apologize, Sheriff, Miss Lexy…but I think it's best if you two leave now." Crooked said

"There's no way I'm goin' with him! Are you kidding me!" Georgie yelled.

"Things are about to get unpleasant, and I would rather you weren't here to watch." Crooked said, looking between Bigby and me.

"We've seen worse." I said while crossing my arms over my chest.

"You can join that whore at the bottom of the lake for all I give a shit! But they're not takin' me anywhere!" Georgie said while glaring at Bigby and me. They started fighting again but Bigby interrupted them.

"We're not going anywhere!" Bigby growled while I reached for my gun.

"This could have gone so well…" Crooked said, rubbing his forehead before glaring up at Bigby and me. "To speak the truth, I've never been a very good mediator… Why negotiate when you can just decide." He looked towards a mirror. I took a sharp breath when in the mirror a woman was standing next to me. The woman turned and walked away until she stepped out the mirror. I glared at the hazel eyes smirking at me. Great, we have to deal with Bloody fucking Mary.

"Did I miss anything good?" She said after chuckling. She looked at Bigby as he put his arm a little in front of me. "Well, look at you…all fixed up." She started grinning and before I knew it, someone had hit Bigby with a chair. He stumbled and Mary kicked him back. I kicked her back. She threw a fist at me but I stopped and pushed her back. But then she punched me in the throat, making me fall on the ground. Bigby stood back up with a growl, his beard was longer, nails out and yellow eyes glaring. I stood up and stood next to Bigby with one of my guns in my hand.

Every single man that was in this room was ready to attack us.

Bigby threw a fist at the Tweedle. The Tweedle stumbled back but Jersey, transformed, dove towards Bigby. He managed to take a hold of Jersey's head and arm. With inhuman strength he threw Jersey aside.

"Over here!" I held up my gun as Georgie held up his. He surprised me thought when he threw it at the Tweedle. I turned and shot the Tweedle in his hand that was holding the gun. Georgie however grabbed my arm with the gun and pulled away. I shot, hoping to hit him but I shout the glass behind the bureau. The same blue portal Bigby and I went through appeared. Georgie took me in a hold but I managed to kick him trice in the stomach before he pushed me towards Mary, in the meantime taking my gun. Mary used her strength to pull my other gun off the chain and pulled out my angel blades, putting one against my throat.

"You're done, Wolf!" I heard Georgie say.

"Lexy!" Bigby growled.

"Come on. We're pretty much done here." The Crooked Man went through the portal first before Mary took me with her. I didn't take the time to look around. I took Mary's wrist and pulled the angel blade away from my neck. She dropped it to the ground. Before I could make a move to hit her she had my arms bend behind my back. I started struggling but it was no use.

"Let me go, you bitch!" I snapped. She just chuckled and pushed me in the car. She handcuffed me to the car, making me growl and trying to tug my hand out. Mary took the driver's seat and started the car. We drove off to God knows where. After a while driving I saw a car next to us with Vivian driving. Suddenly Bigby appeared on the roof. From where did he come from! He turned his head and his yellow eyes connected with mine for a second before the car I was in turned around the corner.

"Damn it!" I hit the car angrily.

"Don't worry, dear. You'll see Mr. Wolf soon." He said. I glared at him and at Bloody who was driving. She was giggling in a creepy way.

"If you think I'm scared of you, than you're wrong." I said as I tried to get the handcuffs off my wrist.

"I don't think that you are scared. I just want to show you something." I glared at Crooked.

"Oh yeah? What?"

"Your memories." He said. I went quiet for a second before laughing.

"What are you talking about? I know everything already." I said. Crooked just hummed and looked out the window. My memories? What the hell? We parked in front of a building. It looked like a factory. The door on my side opened and I was roughly pulled out because of the handcuffs were attached to the door.

"Gently." I hissed at her. She just smirked, unlocked the handcuffs and pushed me to the entrance. I rubbed my arm before walking in the factory. We went up some stairs and into an office.

"Alright, it's time to tell you a story." Crooked said.

"Wha-" I had turned around but got punched by Mary. She kicked me in the stomach making me fall on my ass. I wiped the blood of my lips and looked up at them. "What the fuck?"

"Keep quiet. I was being gently." Mary said with that sickly sweet voice. I glared at her before looking at Crooked.

"Alright, tell me the fucking story."

"Not so rude, dear. After all, this is about your lost memories." I frowned up at him before laughing.

"What are you talking about?" I said after my laughter calmed down. I got slapped in the face by Mary. I snarled at her. "Well you stop hitting me already?!" She just smirked and stepped back.

"You have no memories from before your adopted father found you. Is it not?" Crooked said.

"What of it?" I said while glaring at him.

"This town was in King Cole's hands. That king once had a wife and a sweet little daughter. His wife was a human. He fell in love with her. He had a child with that woman. However a few years later his wife disappeared together with that little child. A day after the woman's disappearance her head was found on his doorsteps."

"Let me guess, your doings." I said while glaring at the Crooked Man.

"The daughter was never found. From then on King Cole made a new rule. Fables had to be kept secret from humans." The Crooked Man ended his story.

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked.

"Why you're the child of course." The Crooked Man said.

"Don't make me laugh, my face kinda hurts." I looked at Mary with a glare "No thanks to you." She smirked at me.

"But you are. Your name is Princess Aya Cole. And I can prove it." He showed me a book of fables. He opened the book to reveal a picture of me with the name Aya Cole above it. I was silent for a moment, shocked about the so called truth. I shook my head and glared at the Crooked Man.

"Why should I believe you?" I snarled.

"Why should I lie to you, princess?" The Crooked Man said. I probably looked red in the face by now due to the anger coursing through my veins.

"Because you want me to quit. You think I would stop because a princess doesn't fight like that. Well, guess what. Princess or not, I have a dog to protect." I said. Mary snorted and turned to pick something up from the ground.

"The loyalty of a princess is unwavering." I backed up a little when Mary came up to me with rope in her hands. "I would ask you to be loyal to me but you are too infatuated with Mr Wolf." I glared at him while Mary pushed me on a chair and bound me to it. My hand, waist and ankles were bound against the chair.

"Even if I wouldn't have met Bigby I would never work for you like I'm your bitch." I smirked and looked at Mary. "Like you." She slapped me again before binding a cloth around my mouth, making me struggle against her.

"Now sit still and wait for your knight in fur." She said. The Crooked Man walked out the door with Mary following him. A while with just sitting there and trying to get out of the ropes I finally heard something from the other room. A door opening.

"Bigby Wolf!" I heard Bloody Mary say though I didn't know where it came from. "The Big Bad Wolf." She chuckled. "You used to be something. They used to fear you. They'd hide anywhere their small shivering bodies would fit. The Big Bad Wolf." Suddenly Bigby came into the room. I shook my head with wide eyes and tried to shout at him. He looked behind him but suddenly Mary appeared. He looked back and Mary landed a fist on his jaw. "It's about time you showed up." Mary casually said and walked to the other side of the room. I tried to get myself free again, seeing as Bigby was now concentrated on Mary.

"I had to take care of some things first." He growled.

"Little errand boy. That's nice. You were busy being a hero while your bitch was tied up here." Mary said. Bigby took a step closer to her but stopped when the Crooked Man walked in.

"Ah, Bigby. I see you've made it here in one piece. I do apologize, but I have some business to attend to. I leave you in the capable hands of my associate." Crooked said to Bigby before he turned to walk out. "Come find me when you're finished, dear." He said over his shoulder to Mary. While this was happening, Bigby had managed to get the rope of my feet and waist. Now only my wrists were bound as well as my mouth.

"Don't worry. This won't take long" Mary said while she smirked at Bigby and me.

"Get out of our way. Now! Don't make this worse." Bigby said.

"Aww, he doesn't wanna play!" Mary said to the Crooked Man.

"I'm sure you'll persuade him." He answered before he walked off. Bigby pulled back his fist to hit Mary but she ducked down, laughing at Bigby's attempt.

Wow, what a man. Stealing punches while my back is turned. Didn't your mother ever teach you fight proper?" She pushed down and jumped on him. She was about to hit him but Bigby slapped her arm away. Mary went to hit him again but Bigby blocked her. He grabbed her wrist and punched her in the head. With Bigby's strength, Mary flew off of him. I heard Bigby growl when he sat up. I looked around to find a sharp edge to cut the rope around my wrists. I glanced at Bigby who had now a beard, yellow eyes and a little more hairy. A weird sound grabbed our attention. It sounded like a rattling sigh. Bigby glanced at me questioningly.

"Go, I'll catch up." He nodded and walked out the room. "I hope." I said as I stared after him. I looked around and scowled. "There's gotta be something sharp in here." I walked around trying to found something when I tripped over a box. I lifted my head with a groan. When I opened my eyes I saw something glint in the corner of the room. Without my hand, I stood up and went to the corner. I smiled when I saw it were my weapons that were behind some machinery. "Gotcha." I said. Turning my back to it, I sat down so I could get the Angel blade. Just when I had a hold of the blade I heard a loud thump. I froze for a second before I started to cut the rope. It wasn't easy but it's the only way to get this rope off. I tried to ignore the growling that came from the other room. I smiled when I felt the rope give away.

"Yes!" I said as I held my wrists in front of me. But my victory soon faded when a woman looking a little like Mary walked in. Only…Her skin was as pale as a corpse, her eyes were black and red. Not to mention there were pieces of glass sticking out of her body, blood covering those places as well as dripping from her eyes. There were also red glowing marks on her chest and face.

"Wow…You fugly." I said. My eyes widened when a second and a third Bloody Mary walked in. I sighed annoyed and looked all three in the eyes. "Was one of you not enough already?" Suddenly one roared at me and jumped me. I used the Angel blade in my hand to cut off her hand before I kicked her in the stomach, pushing her back. Another one came at me. She scratched my shoulder before I could block her. She screeched when I put the blade in her neck. She tried hitting me again but with the blade in her throat I managed the behead her. The other, with the cut of hand jumped at me again but I stabbed her right in the middle of the glowing mark. She screeched before falling dead to the ground. The last one roared but right before she could make a move I shot her. She screeched before becoming silent when I used the Archangel Blade. I shakily stood up and walked out the room. I stopped when I clasped one of my guns to the chain on my belt. I gasped when I saw more Bloody Mary's. I gasped when I saw Bigby fighting off some of the Bloody Mary's. 5 Bloody Mary's turned towards me to attack me I backed up and held my Archangel blade. I gasped when I felt the blade grow heavier. You could say I was slightly shocked when the blade turned into a sword. It surprised me at the details on the sword. Also, right when the steel began from the hilt there was a brown wolf with open mouth. It looked like the blade came out of the wolf's mouth.

"Now this is a sword." I said before I swung it, beheading one of the Bloody Mary's. You know what I noticed. With none of them there was blood. I glanced down at the dead one. They looked like big chunks of glass. Glass…Mirrors…They are reflections of the real one! I looked up and fought of the 4 other Mary's. I ran down the stairs, dodging some Mary's. Suddenly I felt a claw in my side. I screamed before I swung my sword in the Mary that hit me. I tried to keep them away from me but I started feeling drowsy. I looked down at my wound to find my shirt covered in blood. I looked towards Bigby to find him being jumped by what I could see about 6 or 7 Mary's.

"Bigby!" I yelled out before I was pushed to the ground as well. My sword was kicked a few feet away from me. I looked towards Bigby when I heard him growl. His red eyes connected with mine right when I screamed in pain. One of the Bloody Mary's had scratched my other shoulder. I looked at the Bloody Mary above me, ready to strike me and kill me. I closed my eyes, making myself ready to die but…I felt nothing.

I did hear a very heavy footstep. I opened my eyes but only saw a big brown furred body above me. When I looked over my shoulder I noticed this body was a giant yellow eyed wolf.

"Holy…" I muttered when the wolf started to growl and bite at every Bloody Mary that came close to him. One of the Mary's broke into pieces of glass in the wolf's jaws. "Bigby." I whispered. He kept breaking the Mary's. I shook my head to snap myself out of the shock. I looked around for my sword and found it laying a few feet away from me. I stood up with a little bit of struggling and ran towards the sword. I picked up and swung it around right when a Bloody May was about to attack me. When I glanced at the wolf it growled at me. I don't know why but even in this form I would trust Bigby with my life. I ran towards him and stopped when I was underneath him. Bigby spreaded his forepaws a little before he started to…breathe in? His forepaws left the ground for a second before he blew out a strong gust of air. A few Bloody Mary's were pushed away.

"Huff &amp; Puff…You really are amazing." I said while he kept huffing and puffing. When all Bloody Mary's had ran away or were broken there was one left. I took a strong grip on my sword before I followed her. I jumped after her, just as agile as she was. She jumped on some steel bars that were holding the roof together. I followed her until she stopped running. She turned towards me and roared.

"Alright, let's play this fair." I said dropping my sword. I heard Bigby whine slightly from below but ignored him. "We have to finish what we started." She screeched when I said this and charged at me. I blocked her and hit her with a fist. I kicked her back, jumped forward and landed a fist on her neck. She gurgled and spit some blood in front of my feet. She came at me again but I drop kicked her. I stood up and closed my eyes for a second.

Bigby if you don't catch me I will come back from the dead and castrate you.

I turned and jumped down. I gasped a little when I landed safely on the wolf's back. I held onto his fur as he growled up at Bloody Mary. She screeched again before she pulled out a shard of glass that was stuck in her head. She jumped down and Bigby reacted quickly by jumping up. He caught her in his jaws. Bloody Mary tried to stab Bigby's eye with the glass but his jaws broke her body before she could cut it. Bigby landed on the ground and roared in victory. I giggled and whooped as well. I hugged his neck and chuckled in the thick warm fur. I swear I could hear this giant wolf purr. I pulled back and jumped off his back. I walked around to look at him from a front. His mouth was covered in blood and his yellow eyes had fierce but a kind glow to it.

"Wow…I can't call you pup anymore, can I?" I said. He softly growled and lowered his head a little. I lifted my hand and with a little surprise he gently laid his giant head in my hands. I petted his snout, avoiding the blood and chuckled. "You truly are amazing." I said. I yelped when his tongue licked my waist. "Bigby!" I playfully scowled. He growled again and suddenly became smaller in size. He was transforming back into a human. My eyes widened when I saw Bigby stark naked laying with his belly on the ground. I averted my eyes but looked back up when he appeared in front of me. His eyes were still a dangerous yellow and his lips were covered with blood.

"Are you alright?" His voice still held a little growl to it, his teeth were still as sharp as a wolf's. But his yellow eyes held anger, kindness and concern in them. And something entirely different that I haven't managed to figure out. His large hands grabbed my upper arms to pull me a little closer.

"I'm fine." I said, smiling and patting on of his arms. "But uh…" I cleared my throat, looked down at him before looking away with a heated face. "Could you put on some clothes?" I saw him look down at himself from the corner of my eyes.

"Oh." He said and backed off. He cleared his throat and looked around for some clothes.

"Bigby." I said. He looked at me before following what I was looking at. A pair of clothes lay on the floor. Did the Crooked Man know Bigby was going to change full wolf?

Bigby looked up and growled. I looked up and saw the Crooked Man watching from above through a window.

"Let's end this." I said while Bigby put on his clothes. I tried to hide my heated cheeks as I stole some glances of his well build chest. He's going to be the death of me…even though he saved my ass.

"Let's go." He said as we walked towards the stairs.


	14. Cry Wolf Part 2

When we reached the top of the stairs we went left to the only door in this place. We entered the room cautiously. It looked like this was someone's office. I don't know if it was the Crooked Man's or someone else's. Bigby and I glared at the Crooked Man who was still looking out the window.

"Hello, Bigby, Lexy. You two look tired." Crooked Man said calmly.

"Give me one good reason not to rip you apart right now." Bigby growled. The Crooked Man turned around and pointed a gun at Bigby's head. I took out my own and aimed it at the Crooked Man's chest.

"This gun holds six rounds of specially designed silver bullets. Now, I may not be the best shot…but I can guarantee that at least one bolt-"Crooked Man was interrupted when Bigby charged at him. Although Bigby stopped when Crooked Man fired the gun, aiming between me and Bigby. I gasped when I heard the bullet pass very closely to my ear. Crooked Man kept his gun pointed at me. "I won't miss next time." The Crooked Man said, pissed off. Bigby stayed put and glanced at me over his shoulder.

"Before you do anything with me, I thought I should point out a few things. Snow White wants you to bring me back to the Woodlands, doesn't she? And that's what I want… You plan to do what she says, don't you?" That bastard.

"Snow's not here. You're dealing with us now." Bigby stepped closer and the Crooked Man backed up slightly.

"That may be true, but I'd advice against defying your new boss. At least for the time being." Crooked Man said and Bigby crossed his arms. I was still watching the gun that was pointed at me. "You will bring me back alive. Look, all I ask for is a chance to speak for myself in front of the community. And I'm sure Miss White would agree that I should be given a fair trial. Can we at least agree on that? I will have a trail."

"Spoiled brat." I said. Crooked Man glared at me and held his gun a little tighter. I now aimed my gun towards his head.

"The whole town will be calling for your execution." Bigby said, taking the attention from me towards him. "Why would you want us to bring you back there?"

"Why don't you let me worry about that?" Crooked Man answered. Bigby walked closer again while Crooked man stepped back. I kept myself on the same place I've been standing at. "Look…There's no reason for us to be at each other's throats here."

"That's funny…coming from the guy pointing a gun at my partner's head." Bigby said, sounding amused and angry at the same time.

"This is just a precaution. I'm sure you understand." Crooked Man said.

"Precaution, my ass." I snapped.

"I'm no murderer, Princess, Mr. Wolf. I didn't kill those women. And I think you know that. All I'm asking for is a chance to explain my side of the story." Crooked Man said.

"If you're not a killer, than what are you?" Bigby asked.

"I'm a businessman. Not a killer." Crooked Man said while frowning.

"There's still a lot you have to answer for." Bigby said, glaring at him.

"And I will…as long as you agree to my terms. Because I'm not saying another word until I am brought before the community. And I don't think I'm being unreasonable. If you decide to do something stupid, like murder me…" Both man were glaring at each other. "You won't get your answers…but you will have a difficult time explaining yourself to Miss White and the rest of this miserable town." The Crooked Man pointed his gun at Bigby now, giving me the time to move closer. I growled silently when Crooked Man backed up and Bigby followed.

"You're often reckless. And I worry you're not thinking of the-"I narrowed my eyes as the Crooked Man kept looking back until he interrupted himself. He looked back at Bigby with curiosity. "Let me ask you an honest question…What do you really care about here? Where this case is concerned, I mean. Do you really want the truth…? Or do you just want to look like the hero?"

"This is about justice. I'm the Sheriff… I have to do what's right. Two people were murdered." Bigby said, making me smile.

"And you know who did it… Georgie… He's dead isn't he? My point being: the killer has been dealt with. You've won." Crooked Man said.

"You really think I'm that stupid?" Bigby asked, glaring at the Crooked Man.

"I understand you have an obligation to bring me in, but you can brighten up a little. It's over." Bigby? Brighten up? That would be a sight to see. Him skipping around the room with a happy-go-lucky smile. No that will never happen.

"So…shall we get going? I'd rather not dawdle. You know, I'm actually looking forward to seeing Miss White again. My previous interactions with her have gone rather well." Crooked Man said.

"Alright, let's go. Hand over the gun." Bigby said.

"I think I'd rather hold onto it, if you don't mind." Crooked Man said.

"I do mind." I said, as fast as I could I grabbed his hand with the gun in and bend towards the left. He yelped and let go of the gun. I kicked it towards Bigby who kicked it to the other side of the room. I put my own gun away and walked closer to stand next to Bigby.

"I'm sure Miss White will be pleased…such a reliable pup. I understand why she'd want to keep you around." Crooked Man said. Bigby bared his teeth and dug his fingers in the Crooked Man's collar. He pulled back his fist and hit the Crooked Man on his cheekbone. The Crooked Man stumbled back and when he raised his head we could see a bruise already forming on his cheek.

"You're under arrest." Bigby said and his eyes turned back to brown. He pulled handcuffs…wait where did he hide those? "You will be given a trail in front of your peers. And your punishment will follow." He put the handcuffs on the Crooked Man and guided him out. While we were walking, Bigby turned to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Just a few bruises and…well…" I looked down at my side where there were deep cuts were.

"Shit." Bigby said as he stared at my blood soaked side.

"I've had worse. Don't you worry about me."

"How sweet. The wolf and the Princess." The Crooked Man said. I glared and hit the back of his head.

"You shut up or I'll do way worse. And you can't use the Snow White trick with me. I don't work for her." I said angrily before turning back to Bigby.

"How about you? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I've had worse." He said and smiled at me. "This is going to end soon Lexy. Maybe we can go for that dinner after this." He said and looked back at the road ahead. I smiled at him but my smile soon faded as I looked at the ground. Snow's words echoed through my head. I had to leave and I would. I promised.

"Yeah maybe we could." I said, trying to sound happy. Bigby didn't seem to catch the sadness in my voice or in my eyes. We were quiet for the rest of the walk. A while later we entered the Woodlands and went down to the Witching Well Chamber.

"Yes, you'll have an opportunity to-" We heard Queen White say. I rolled my eyes while walking behind Bigby. "They're back." The Queen said as she smiled at Bigby.

"The Crooked Man." I heard Beast say.

"Thank God." Snow said.

"Motherfucker." Grendel snapped as the Crooked Man passed him.

"Are you okay?" The Queen asked, looking at Bigby. "It's been hours. We were worried you'd run into some trouble…at the Crooked Man's place. And after what happened with Mary…"

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Bigby said with a smile. I looked back at them with a blank face while holding my side. I huffed silently and leaned against one of the pillars. My legs were trembling. Was it because of blood loss or just because I was tired, I don't know. But a good night's rest would be welcome.

"You did well, Sheriff, I'm…surprised. Not that you did well…but that…y'know…I'm just glad you made it back in one piece." They smiled at each other making me bit the inside of my cheek. Don't be foolish, Lexy. You'll be leaving soon. There is no reason for me to feel this way.

"It's about time you showed up. Now throw this asshole down the fuckin' well!" Grendel said.

"Yes, what are you waiting for?" Bluebeard said loudly. Everyone started talking through each other, all angry at the Crooked Man.

"Everyone!" The Queen shouted. "Can I have your attention! Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I know normally we'd schedule a formal hearing, but considering the circumstances…I thought it best if we do this as soon as possible." Snow held up a paper as she began to read. "The Crooked Man is charged with the murder of Faith and-"

"As I already informed your Sheriff…it was Mr. Georgie Porgie who killed those women, not me." The Crooked Man said.

"What? It was Georgie?" Beauty said.

"I don't mean to interrupt you, Miss White. But I thought it would be unwise to process with such…faulty information." The Crooked Man said.

"Georgie may have killed them, but you made the call." Bigby growled.

"Do I have to explain the situation to you again?" Crooked Man said, sounding irritated.

"Wait a minute. So you're saying Georgie's the motherfucker who killed my sister? Well where is he?" Holly said. Bigby turned to her and Grendel.

"Yeah, you're gonna bring that shithead in too aren't you?" Grendel said.

"Yes, Sheriff. Where is the rotten scoundrel now?" Crooked Man said, mocking Bigby.

"I killed him. He's dead." Bigby snapped. I lifted an eyebrow at him but he didn't see it.

"He's…what?" Queen White looked shocked while the Crooked Man looked smug. The other fables looked shocked as well.

"So you see, the culprit has been punished. There's no need for this-"

"That doesn't change anything." Snow said, interrupting the Crooked Man. "We'll deal with it later, but right now you're the one I'm concerned with."

"You called the shots. Georgie made that perfectly clear." Bigby said.

"In which case you still have a lot to answer for. And I'd-"

"I was told I would be allowed to speak." The Crooked Man said angrily.

"We have to read the rest of the charges-"

"What other charges?" He interrupted Snow.

"Fine. Go right ahead." Bigby said, looking at the Crooked Man with a glare. Only now I noticed the swollen red skin around his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in a month.

"Wait. That's not how this works." Snow snapped at Bigby before turning to the Crooked Man. "After the rest of your crimes are read through, then you will have an opportunity to defend yourself, but only then."

"If you insist." The Crooked Man answered. Snow returned to reading her paper.

"You are charged with the murder of Faith and Lily…which Georgie carried out on your order. Inciting violence against various members of the Fabletown community…including the attempted murder of Sheriff Bigby Wolf and his partner Lexy Singer." Snow said.

"Twice." Bigby and I said. I walked up next to Bigby who gave me a smile.

"A misunderstanding." The Crooked Man said, looking at Bigby and me.

"Aiding and providing monetary support for the forced prostitution at the Pudding N Pie. Additionally you are charged with multiple counts of fraud, extortion, racketeering, and the illegal possession and sale of magical artifacts." Snow said.

"And for being a condescending prick." Bigby said. Snow gave him a glare while I snorted amusingly.

"Now, is there anything you would like to say?" Snow said, glaring at the Crooked Man.

"First of all, I had nothing to do with Faith and Lily, so you can strike that one from your little record book. Second-"

"Bullshit!" Grendel shouted. "Like Hell you didn't."

"Stop the charade, we know you're involved." Bluebeard said. Everyone started to talk through each other again.

"I know you're responsible. You've been behind all of this from the beginning. So cut the shit." Bigby said.

"We all know who you are! We know what you've done!" Beauty said, glaring at the Crooked Man.

"Just give it up already!" Gren said.

"The Crooked Man has committed crimes against this government, and most importantly its citizens. These charges, if proven, are enough to justify death, upon which your body will be committed to the Witching Well." Snow said.

"Where it fukin' belongs!" Gren said. He has a big mouth, doesn't he?

"But we promised you a chance to defend yourself! And I won't rob you of that right." Snow said. All the fables however did not agree with this. "This is about justice. If we're ever going to pull ourselves together and make something of this town, we have to start doing things correctly. No more snap judgements. No more secrets. We are going to treat everyone fairly. Even when they don't deserve it."

"This is ridiculous." Holly said as Bigby removed the handcuffs.

"You have the floor." Snow said. We were standing in a half circle, facing the Crooked Man. I sighed and went back to standing against a pillar.

"Thank you, Miss White. You've all met Georgie. I don't have to tell what kind of…person he was. He was a total scoundrel, lacking in any sort of mortal fiver. I hired. I hired him as a favour to his family, you see, a promise kept to a dying mother…" The Crooked man said while pacing back and forth.

"Are you gonna get to your point or what?" Holly said.

"Georgie was working for me, yes, but he was not acting on my behalf when he killed those women. It was his business…and for whatever reason I'm sure only he could understand, he murdered two if his most faithful employees. I had nothing to do with it." With that last sentence everyone started to call out to him angrily. "Georgie's always been a bit of a powder keg. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"Georgie seemed pretty convinced he didn't have a say in the matter." Bigby said.

"He clearly misunderstood my intention. I would never authorize such an act." The Crooked Man said.

"Any of you actually believe this bullshit?" Holly said.

"Holly, please." Snow scolded.

"Tell them, Bigby…When you and Lexy finally showed up at my door last night, wasn't I more than helpful? I answered your questions. I was willing to cooperate." The Crooked Man said.

"What's he talking about?" Snow asked while looking at Bigby.

"Helpful isn't the word I would use." Bigby said.

"My comrades are another matter, and I'm sorry for the predicament they put you in. They get a bit carried away sometimes, it's true, loyal to the end. They do it because they want to protect me, as I have protected them. You understand wanting to protect what you care about, don't you?" The Crooked Man looked at me with a fake sad look. "You'd do anything. You might even give up an innocent man…just to save someone." I saw Bigby turn his head towards me and his brown eyes met my forest green ones for a second, before he turned back to the Crooked Man.

"I really hope you're going somewhere with this." Bigby said angrily.

"I see…you want to cut right to the point. I can appreciate that. Let me explain this to you…My employees are just that. Hired help. I see some of them among you." He looked at Beauty and Beast who didn't dare to look him in the eye. "They are not my slaves. They are all free to make their own decisions, as Georgie was…"

"You're not serious!" Prince Lawrence came forth and glared at the Crooked Man. "I know what you do to people, I've seen it first-hand! What you did to Faith! The way you manipulated her! Do you really think any of those girls were free? Do you really think Faith wanted to-"

"I'm sorry, Lawrence." The Crooked Man interrupted him. "I'm sorry that your wife came to me for help and I'm sorry that I decided against my best judgment to give her a distasteful job."

"Right, and you kept them in debt so they couldn't leave." Snow said.

"Yeah!" Beast called out. "That's what you did to us. How you kept us all in line…"

"You forget, it was not me who put in that position. You all act like I'm some kind of tyrant. When your government abandoned you, left you poor and helpless, snivelling on street corners, I was there to look out for you." The Crooked Man said.

"Yes, but-"

"Wasn't I?" The Crooked Man interrupted the Butcher.

"We didn't abandon anyone! We've been trying to help them." Bigby said, his voice loud and angry.

"Really?" The Crooked Man said before he walked towards Greenleaf. "What about Auntie Greenleaf? Her story is not uncommon. She left everything she had back in the Homelands…everything that mattered, anyway. With nowhere else to turn, she came to me for help. And what did I do for you?"

"You got my tree back." Greenleaf said. I looked at her sadly. This poor woman…after all that, Snow had tried to bur that tree down…

"I got her tree back. And in turn, we used her magic to help poor Fables get glamours. Because I helped her she was able to make a living…provide for herself. And what did they do?" The Crooked Man said looking down at her.

"For the longest time…not much. But…they asked me to come work for them." Greenleaf said. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Snow look down at her feet.

"Really? The new Deputy Mayor wants you on the Thirteenth Floor?" The Crooked Man asked.

"No… The wolf offered me the job…and Lexy, his partner offered me her friendship." She said while glancing at me nervously. I sighed and stepped forward.

"Snow wanted to burn the tree." I said loudly. I didn't need to turn around to know she was glaring at me. "Don't give me that look White. I may be human and probably don't have the right to speak here but I tell the truth." I said and turned around.

"You do have the right to talk, my dear. You are a fable." I twirled around and glared at the Crooked Man.

"You shut your mouth!" I shouted.

"You are after all Princess Aya, daughter of King Cole." The Crooked Man said, ignoring my warning. Everyone started to whisper my so called name. I even heard someone whisper that I did look like the Queen. I looked around nervously before I composed myself.

"I may have that fools blood…" Everyone grew silent as I started talking. "And that stupid title came with it…" I raised my head and glared at the Crooked Man. "But that doesn't fucking mean that I'm Princess Aya. I was raised a hunter, raised as Lexy Singer. So I'm Lexy Singer, a hunter." I looked at all of them, my eyes lingering on Bigby's big puppy eyes before I looked back at the Crooked Man. "And I've killed for less." The Crooked Man's eyes showed how scared he was. "But let's concentrate on the previous conversation shall we."

"Y-yes we shall." The Crooked Man stuttered. "Where were we? Ah, yes Miss White wanted to burn the tree."

"You were gonna burn her tree? Snow, why would you want that?" Beast said, breaking the silence.

"I know what you're doing…and it's not gonna work." Bigby said as he walked up to the Crooked Man. "You can't manipulate us or these people. We're not here to talk about this-"

"Oh, we're not?" Greenleaf said angrily.

"Bigby just means-"

"This is important and I'm glad it's being talked about!" Greenleaf interrupted Snow.

"You know why I asked him to destroy your tree. You were working with Crane and the Crooked Man." Snow said, trying to defend herself.

"It wasn't her fault." Beast shouted.

"You can't lie to yourself but you can't lie to me. You hated Crane…and you hated him for wanting to fuck you and you being too soft to notice what he'd do to get it. It had nothing to do with the Crooked Man." Greenleaf ranted. Snow turned away and walked a little ways off.

"We've made some mistakes. I've made some mistakes." Snow turned to face us again with a determined face. "But believe me… I truly want what's best for this town." Bigby walked up next to her and faced us with the same determined face. "And that may not always be clear…right away. But I want you all to know that I care deeply about all of you." Snow looked at Bigby before she look at all of us. "And so does the Sheriff."

"Yeah, right." Grendel scoffed.

"I can't promise you perfection. No one can. But I can promise to always have your best interests at heart." Snow said.

"Like you did with her?" Beast said, glancing at Greenleaf.

"Things haven't been great for a while now…but we'll do better at protecting you from people like him." Bigby said.

"The Crooked Man's been exploiting you. Exploiting your hope for a better life. You would go to him for help…and he would take that weakness and add to his strength. And if things didn't fall exactly his way…someone would die." Snow said.

"He took Faith and Lily from us. And while we can never get them back, we can certainly punish who's responsible." Bigby said. There was a heavy silence before Beast went to stand next to Bigby.

"They're right." He said and Bigby grinned at him.

"You're all still afraid of him…even now. But you needn't be." I smiled and moved myself to stand next to Bigby. Soon after I joined them the others came to stand with us a well. His contamination of this town is over…and those girls will have their justice." We glared at the Crooked Man as he started applauding.

"Very good, very good, the sentiment is surely appreciated, Miss White…but it doesn't disguise the fact that these accusations are completely unfounded. The Sheriff simply doesn't have a particle of evidence linking me to the murders."

"Georgie was working for you! Bigby and Aya got a confession that-"

"A 'confession' that nobody heard!" The Crooked Man interrupted and I glared at Snow who said my real name. "Now, I'm no barrister, but I'd think such a statement would carry more weight if Bigby and Princess Aya weren't the only ones to whom Georgie spoke. Especially given Bigby's…history. And Princess Aya has been living with humans for so long…Who knows if she can still be trusted."

"What are you talking about?" The Butcher said.

"And what about your history? All you've done to this fucking town…" Bigby said, getting closer to Crooked Man's face in anger.

"What do you mean there's no evidence?" Beast asked but no one answered.

"Maybe…maybe he's…I mean, this doesn't feel right, how we're doing this. I just mean…" Beauty said until she was interrupted.

"Of course it's right. This man tormented all of you…for profit! Georgie killed-" Bluebeard said until he was interrupted. Goodness they like interrupting each other don't they?

"Let me just make sure I understand you…" The Crooked Man said. "You're trying to say that I am responsible for what Georgie did, because he was working for me at the time. Yes?"

"Yes." Bluebeard hissed.

"Where are you going with this…?" Bigby asked.

"If I'm to blame for Georgie's mistakes, shouldn't Miss White be held accountable for Bigby's actions as well?" The Crooked Man said.

"Like what?" Snow scoffed.

"How about the way he treated poor Tweedle Dee when he was in your custody? He was beaten to mashed apples while under your watch." Crooked Man said calmly.

"Under 'my watch'?" Snow looked offended by this.

"Did you think we'd all just let that go?" Crooked Man said.

"You can't be serious." Snow said, shaking her head.

"That was different." Bluebeard stepped forward.

"You think you shouldn't be held accountable?" Crooked Man said.

"He was a suspect, and I needed answers." Bigby growled angrily.

"Besides…Crane was still Deputy Mayor when that happened." Snow said while putting her hands on her hips. "Right before you decided to kidnap him."

"It was for his own protection… Oh, you're right, dear. Crane was in charge. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference." My eyes widened when he said that.

"That's enough." Snow said.

"So, you won't answer for your employee's behaviour…but I must perish for mine?" The Crooked Man snapped

"This is completely different. We all-"

"I did not order those two girls dead. It simply never happened." The Crooked Man snapped as he glared down at White. "Georgie killed Faith and Lily. End of story. They want to scapegoat me for their own tangled ends, but they refuse to answer for their own crimes!" Because of this little speech a few of the Fables started doubting everything.

"We'll deal with them after we deal with you." Grendel said.

"Listen, I know-"

"The laws apply when we need them to…"

"Bluebeard, please!" Snow snapped at Bluebeard.

"Everyone, calm down! This isn't the reason we're here!" Bigby said while Bluebeard started talking.

"I mean, a certain level of privilege should be afforded to-"

"To who?" Grendel said.

"This is how it's always been." Auntie Greenleaf said. This was getting out of hands.

"This is what I'm talking about. We lashed our ropes to this diseased world"

"Hey!" I snapped as I glared at the Crooked Man.

"And ever since, which one of us has been there for you? Who filled your lives with the promises of more?" He ignored me and walked up to Auntie Greenleaf who looked at him with sad eyes. The Crooked Man turned himself towards us again, glaring at all of us. "Who was there while they idly played in their towers…judging you, treating you as mindless children too stupid to command your own destiny? Without me…Who will pay your rent when you are on the verge of eviction?" He looked at Beauty and Beast who frowned. The Crooked Man turned his glare towards Bigby.

"Who will dare challenge their brutality when it leaks to our dear citizens? Who will protect you…from the Big Bad Wolf?" Bigby glared and bared his teeth. Yes Bigby that look will help you for sure. Note the sarcasm. "Who will be the-"

Bark!

"That wasn't me." Bigby said as I looked at him questioningly. I frowned and until I recognized the barking.

"A dog? Who brought a dog in this building?" Bluebeard ranted. I started to laugh awkwardly and rubbed the back of my head. I ignored his glare and walked towards the door. I opened it and Abby passed me to enter the room. I smiled when I saw the woman in front of me.

"Guys!" I said while motioning to the woman to follow me. She smiled and followed me. "I think we have our evidence." I said with a smug smile as the girl came from behind me.

"I…I wanted to make sure I had the chance to say something." Nerissa said.

"Why don't you take a moment to catch your breath, little one?" Crooked Man said.

"What's she doing here?" Bluebeard said.

"I'd like to… I-I mean to say something." Nerissa said, stuttering slightly.

"We're kind of in the middle of something." Bluebeard said.

"Will you shut up already, Baldie?" I said while glaring at Bluebeard. He glared right back at me and wanted to say something. I held my finger up with a smirk. "Don't defy the Princess." Bigby chuckled when I said this.

"She has something to say and we're gonna listen. Go right ahead." Bigby said while crossing his arms over his chest. Nerissa nodded at Bigby before turning to the Crooked Man.

"You probably don't remember me… I don't know why I was…afraid to come here." She said and laughed a little at herself.

"My dear, I don't know what it is-"

"Just shut up!" She snapped. I raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. She could be my best friend. "You enslaved us for years. Let us hear stories about what you'd do…told us we would lose everything if we stepped just one toe out of line. And we couldn't say a word about it because of these damn ribbons." She ranted.

"Wait…" The Crooked Man whispered while looking panicked.

"But you know what…now it's my turn to talk." Nerissa said while smirking.

"How are you-"

"I found Vivian's body. Did you kill her? Did he?" Nerissa turned to look at Bigby.

"Sheriff, this is highly irregular…We need to establish some order, here!" Crooked Man said.

"Vivian wanted you freed from the ribbons… She took her own life." Bigby said. Nerissa frowned before she went back to the Crooked Man.

"I'm sorry, um… I don't think I know your…"

"Nerissa!" She snapped. "My name is Nerissa!"

"It's okay, my dear, it's going to be just-" Nerissa interrupted the Crooked Man again.

"He ordered them dead, this fucker. Faith and Lily-"

"That's a lie!" The Crooked Man called out.

"I was in the goddamned room when he did it. Faith and Lily are dead because of you!" Everyone looked shocked at her. "The only two people who ever gave a damn about me…And now I can finally say…You're an asshole… And I hope you rot at the bottom of the Witching Well for what you did." Nerissa said.

"We know what happened." Bigby said.

"He made Georgie do it, it was always him, Georgie would've never done anything without his say-so, ever." Nerissa said.

"You're going to take the word of a stupid-"

"AT least five other girls will back me up on this. We all heard you say it!" Nerissa said and glared at the Crooked Man who glared back at her.

"Did you now…"

"Looks like we found our evidence." Bigby said as he came to stand next to me and Nerissa.

"She saw it first hand…" Beauty said.

"He's guilty!" Bluebeard called out while pointing a finger at the Crooked Man.

"Good enough for me. How about you Bigby?" I said while smirking at the Crooked Man.

"Good enough for me." Bigby said.

"Me too." Snow followed. I glared at her but restrained myself from saying anything.

"So that's it, right?" Beast said.

"Throw him down the Witching Well!" The Butcher shouted out.

"No! That's too fuckin' easy for a crook like that!" Gren shouted as Bigby put the handcuffs on the Crooked Man's wrists. I ignored the bickering behind us as I helped holding the Crooked Man. The damn bastard was struggling.

"You're all rats fleeing from one sinking ship to the next. So quick to latch onto whatever will keep your miserable live afloat. This is how you want to repay all I've done for you?" The Crooked Man said.

"What, you take two people's lives away and now you want mercy?" Grendel said.

"You know we can't let you go free after this." White said.

"What did you expect to happen here? You're getting what you deserve." Bigby said.

"Well done then." The Crooked Man said while looking at Bigby.

"Now, for your sentence-" Snow began but was interrupted by Greenleaf.

"We don't have to become murderers." She said

"What are you talking about?" Bluebeard shouted.

"He's guilty! I know that, but we don't have to kill anybody." Greenleaf said as she came closer to Bigby and I. "We can imprison him. Lock him up forever…somewhere he can never hurt anyone again."

"How can we be sure he won't escape?" Snow asked.

"I can help! We'll use magic. I assure you-"

"That's not good enough!" Bluebeard interrupted Greenleaf. Everyone started talking at the same time again.

"Everyone shut up!" I said loudly. They all became silent and looked down at their feet.

"Clearly we're having trouble agreeing on a suitable punishment. So I think we-"

"This is going nowhere!" Bluebeard interrupted Snow again.

"Hey asshole!" Bluebeard looked at me and I smiled at him. "Shut up or I'll kick you where it hurts."

"Look, I'm making the call." Bigby said.

"Why should you-"

"He is the only officially appointed representative here." Bluebeard said.

"Right. Bigby should decide." Nerissa said. I smiled at Bigby and nodded.

"Are you sure? This isn't how it's-"

"It's what the people want, Miss White." Bluebeard said. Wow that's the first smart thing I heard come out of his mouth.

"And by the way…" Snow turned to me. "Your 'how it's supposed to go' didn't work. Take a different approach…or you'll fall in the same shit again." She glared at me and Bluebeard before she sighed.

"Okay. Mr. Wolf. It's your call." Snow said angrily.

"Snow I-"

"Just… Do what you think is right." Snow said to Bigby who tried to apologize. Bigby nodded and turned to the Crooked Man. I came up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not this way!" Suddenly a chain was around my neck and my back collided with the Crooked Man's chest. I tried to breathe as the chain dug into my throat. I heard a loud growl and saw Bigby's eyes change yellow.

"Let her go!" He roared. I took the Crooked Man's wrist and twisted it. A sickening crack was heard. I pulled myself away from him, covering my neck with one hand. Just when I had gotten myself loose, Bigby had grabbed the Crooked man by his collar and bended him slightly over the well.

"I hope you all… remember this moment... Think of me…when you try to sleep. Finish it, Sheriff." The Crooked Man was already almost in the well. Greenleaf started to beg, not to murder him.

And I agree.

"Bigby…" I walked up to him and turned his head towards me. "That's enough." I whispered and his brown puppy eyes stared deeply into mine before he pulled the Crooked Man away from the Well. Bigby pushed him on the ground. He turned around to look at Greenleaf.

"You said you had a way to keep him from hurting people." Bigby said. Grendel and Holly started to speak up, not agreeing with Bigby's decision. They shut up when I glared at them.

"Yes. There's a way." Greenleaf said as she walked closer to Bigby. Bigby glared at the Crooked Man.

"Alright. Do it." Bigby said. I smiled at him when he looked at me. However, my smile faded and was replaced by a shocked look when he lifted my head slightly to look at my throat.

"Bigby, I'm fine." I said though I knew a bruise was forming. He sighed and took my face between his large hands. I smiled again and he smiled back.

"It's over." He said. Those words struck me hard. I have to leave now. "Come on. Let's get out of here." He said and guided me out of the Witching Well Chamber. We soon arrived at the lobby and stood in front of the elevator. There was a thick cloud of awkward silence between us. "I'll walk you to your room." Bigby said suddenly.

"Oh, thanks Bigby." I said. I felt his eyes on me the whole time during the elevator ride. We stepped out and went to my apartment. Suddenly my wrist was pulled back by Bigby.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, his big puppy eyes staring at me. I looked at him with a sad smile.

"Wanna come inside?" I asked, avoiding the question. He nodded and let go of my wrist. I opened my door and let Abby walk in first. She immediately laid herself down in a corner and closed her eyes. I motioned for Bigby to take a seat as I closed the door behind us. He sat down on the couch and waited for me to join him. I breathed in and out nervously while avoiding his eyes.

"Do you want something to drink? A beer maybe?" When I got no answer I looked up at him. He was staring at me with a serious look. I sighed and sat down next to him.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of him? Don't worry he can't do you anything. And that bitch Bloody Mary is dead. So you-"

"It's my last day here." I said. Bigby was quiet for a second.

"What?" He said. I looked at him and tried to smile but failed.

"I don't belong here-"

"You do!" He interrupted me. It surprised me how angry he looked. "You're-"

"I know…but I was raised as a hunter… I can't stay." I said. We were silent for a second until I stood up and got us a drink. I came back with two beers and gave him one. "A toast to winning." He smiled slightly and cheered with me. For a while we talked and laughed and joked around. We weren't drunk we just…silently agreed to enjoy this last evening. When it was 2 hours past midnight, we started getting tired.

"I guess I should go. We both deserve a well needed sleep." He stood up and was about to leave but he stopped walking when I grabbed his wrist. I bowed my head so he couldn't see my eyes and red face as I bit my lip.

"Y-you don't have too." I whispered.

"Wha-"

"You don't have a bed right? So…so you could sleep here if you want. I-If you don't mind me sleeping with you- I mean next to you!" I cursed silently and let go of his wrist. "N-never mind."

"If it's no trouble." He said quietly. I looked up at him and his brown puppy eyes met my forest green ones.

"Of course not. I think it's the least I can do for saving my ass." I said with a smile. The awkwardness was gone although I think it'll return as soon as we're in my room. "I'll find you some sweatpants you can change in. The bathroom is right there." I said and went to find him a change of clothes. I took out a sweatpants from Sam. Yes I…borrow them sometimes…they're comfortable! When I returned to the living room, Bigby wasn't their anymore. I knocked on the bathroom door and called for Bigby.

"Bigby, I have some clothes for you to sleep in. I'll leave them he-" I stopped talking when he opened the door…with only his pants on.

"Thanks, Lexy." He said while smiling. I felt my face heat up and stuttered.

"W-welcome…Here." I gave him the pants and walked to the bedroom. I closed the door and leaned against it. Damn him! Making me blush like that! I sighed and swiftly changed into other clothes. I let myself fall back on my bed and held the sheets close to my face. My body relaxed until it tensed up again when the door opened. I scolded myself for grabbing my gun under my pillow. I felt the bed dip next to me. We were silent until Bigby broke it.

"Do you really have to go?" He asked. I turned around to look at him. He was laying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah. I'm gonna miss you though." I said. He turned his towards me and smiled. My eyes started drooping when I felt Bigby's large hand stroke my hair.

"Goodnight, Princess." He said. I didn't mind him calling me that. Other people would have gotten a kick to the chin. But when Bigby said it…it felt light-hearted and sweet.

"Goodnight pup." I said falling asleep with the feeling of being safely guarded by the Big Bad Wolf.


	15. Cry Wolf Part 3

I woke up with something heavy and warm wrapped around my waist. I blinked open my eyes and turned my head. Bigby was pressed against my back and his arm was tightly wrapped around my waist. I was actually close to sweating from the heat he gave off. Half my mind told me to cuddle up to him. The other half told me to get up and start packing. I sighed and decided to get up. I slowly removed his arm from around my waist and stood up from the bed without disturbing Bigby too much. I went to the bathroom to the bathroom and cleaned myself up and put on some clothes. When I left the bathroom I looked back at Bigby and smiled. The red around his eyes had disappeared during the night. I sighed and went to my closet, getting the duffle bag out. I put it on the ground and started putting my clothes in it. I had one shelve left. The top one and I could only reach it with a chair… Getting a chair would make too much noise and wake Bigby up. I stood on my tip toes and tried to reach for the clothes.

"Damn." I whispered. I tensed when two hands wrapped around my waist. Suddenly I was lifted off the ground, making me tall enough to take the clothes from that shelve.

"Good morning." Bigby said as he put me back on the ground.

"Good morning." I said, smiling at him before I put the clothes in my bag.

"Already packing, huh?" He said from behind me. I nodded and put my hands in my pocket. WE awkwardly stared at each other.

"Uh, I'll make us some breakfast." I said and shuffled from foot to foot.

"I'll go change my clothes." We nodded and parted ways. My heart was racing and my breath came out short. Bigby entered the kitchen when I was ready with making us breakfast. He sat down at the table and I gave him his plate. I took mine and sat down in front of him. We talked about little things, trying to forget I was leaving. But when we were done with breakfast it was time to leave. I took my duffle bag and put it on my shoulder. Abby walked next to me. Bigby followed me out the door and I locked it behind us. We walked to the elevator in complete silence, both deep in thought. When we rode the elevator, I saw him rub his eyes.

"Still tired?" I said and he nodded while groaning. The elevator opened and we stepped out. We had to go to the office first. Bigby had put a cigarette between his lips and lit it. Auntie Greenleaf and a guy with a frog cap on. Greenleaf stopped in front of us with a birdcage and a crow in it. Bigby bent through his knees to look at the crow.

"Not what I was expecting…" Bigby said and started smirking. "Morning, Crooked Man." The crow crowed in answer.

"He's got a sharp tongue." Greenleaf said while looking at Bigby. "I thought it would be better for everyone if he parted with it." He stood up and smiled while passing by.

"Thanks Greenleaf." I said and Bigby nodded. I frowned however when I heard Greenleaf's said voice.

"Work is work I guess." We stopped walking and looked at Auntie Greenleaf.

"Hey Sheriff." The man with the frog cap said. "Morning Miss Singer."

"Morning." I said and smiled a little at the man. He had a soft and kind voice. A good man from what I could tell. Abby seemed to like him as well because she didn't growl at him.

"I…don't know if you remember me…" The man said as he looked at Bigby. Or I think so because his eyes were covered with his hair… My eyes trailed up at his cap…don't tell me that his eyes are the cap.

"I know who you are, Flycatcher. You've worked at the Woodlands for…how many years now?" Bigby said. The man scratched the back of his neck.

"Heh. I think I've lost count." Flycatcher entered the elevator and held a hand out to stop the doors from closing. "You gonna come see the truck off? We're leaving for the Farm in a few… Thought you might want to, I don't know…"

"We'll be down in a minute." Bigby said and walked away. I followed him after waving at Flycatcher.

"Okay…great." Flycatcher said before the elevator doors closed. When we rounded the corner there was a huge line next to the office door.

"This fuckin' line." Bigby said annoyed. Everyone looked at us as we walked by.

"Why are they staring so much?" I whispered. Bigby just shrugged and gave me a smile. When we were at the door, Snow came running out.

"Oh…Mr. Wolf! Flycatcher left his keys." She held them out, dangling from between her fingers. Bigby held out his hand and Snow dropped the keys in them before sassily turning away from him.

"Is everything okay? You look-"

"I'm-I'm sorry, Sheriff. I have to take care of this." She said. Snow glanced at my bag and gave me a nod. She's still very set on me leaving, huh. I raised an eyebrow at her cold behaviour as she walked into the office. "We'll talk later, okay?" Snow said to Bigby over her shoulder. Bigby held up the keys with a thoughtful look until Bluebeard passed us. He gave us a nod before he took a hold of the door.

"Good morning, Miss White."

"You're late." Snow said. Bigby sighed and walked back to the elevator. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a smile as he looked down at me. He smiled back before he pushed the elevator button. When the doors opened Colin, the pig, walked out with a packet what I take would be beer in his mouth.

"Someone's gonna see you, Colin." Bigby said. Colin however just smiled slightly and winked at him before he slowly walked out the elevator. Bigby sighed and shook his head while I just chuckled. We stepped into the elevator and he pushed the button to go to ground floor. Soon we walked outside the Woodlands. My heart started beating faster. I really didn't want to leave but I have to. A truck was parked in front of the Woodlands and Toad was glaring at Flycatcher.

"We only have like five minutes." Flycatcher said.

"Then carry me for fuck's sake! I don't give a shit!" Toad snapped.

"You forgot these." Bigby took out the keys and threw them at Flycatcher who caught them.

"Oh! Thank you. It's, uh, been pretty busy around here." Flycatcher said. He walked off and our attention turned to Toad, who was putting his suitcase on the truck.

"Morning, Sheriff, Lexy." He said while glaring at us. "Nice fuckin' day." Toad pulled himself on the truck while cursing.

"How are you…holding up? I know this isn't ideal for you." Bigby said. Toad just glared at him before he turned his back to Bigby.

"I'm going to put this in my car." I said to him. He nodded and was about to follow me.

"Wait! Sheriff Bigby! Miss Lexy! I have something…" We turned to the child toad. The small toad sniffed and turned to grab something.

"You know he was up cryin' all night. Poor kid." Toad said while looking at his son.

"Can you give this to Miss White? Please. Dad says there's no time to say goodbye, so…If you can bring it to her…" TJ said.

"Yeah…sure." Bigby said looking sad. He looked down at the box that TJ held out to him. He took the box and looked closer at it.

"I couldn't take them all with me. And she said she liked that one the best." Bigby opened the box and a blue beetle was in it. Of course, blue. "It's a Willow Beetle. That's a big one. They're cool, 'cause when they're little they have these pouches that squirt juice at you if you touch 'em." I looked at the beetle with a fake smile and wide eyes. Goodness I love dogs a lot more than those little creatures.

"I'm sure she'll love it." Bigby said with a smile.

"She said it was pretty." TJ said before turning to me. "Miss Lexy, I wanted to thank you for the candy you gave me. It was really delicious."

"You're welcome, kid." I said while smiling. "You know what." I reached into my duffle bag and took out another lollypop. "Here." I gave it to him and smiled with my eyes closed. "Take it, as a parting gift." I said.

"T-thanks Miss Lexy." He looked a little flustered making me chuckle.

"We're about ready to head out." Flycatcher said, coming out the Woodlands.

"What's it like at the Farm?" TJ asked. "I've heard ogres live there. And they eat people in their sleep sometimes."

"God, I hope not." Toad said. The both of 'em looked so scared.

"Do we have to go?" TJ asked his father. "I wanna stay here." TJ was close to tears.

"Well, we don't have a choice anymore." Toad answered his son.

"Your dad broke the rules, TJ. You're not allowed to stay in Fabletown without a glamour." Bigby said. I winced when TJ started sobbing.

"Okay…"

"Come on…it won't be so bad." Bigby said, trying to reassure the kid.

"Have you been there before?" TJ asked.

"No…I'm, uh…Some of the animals aren't comfortable around wolves." Bigby said. Poor thing though it was slightly amusing how awkward he looked.

"So you wouldn't know, would you?" Toad snapped and Bigby stayed silent.

"You know…" They looked at me as I started talking. "If they don't let wolves in…I guess they won't let people eating trolls in either." I said with a smile. TJ seemed to relax slightly.

"Bye, Mr Wolf. Bye Miss Lexy." TJ said while looking at us with tears in his eyes.

"Goodbye, TJ." Bigby said.

"See ya, kid." I said. Bigby took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Hey, Bigby!" Toad called out. "Where's your friend, Colin? Where's the fuckin' pig?" I raised my eyebrows and looked at Bigby.

"How should I know?" Bigby said. Toad just glared at him before turning his back to us. We watched the truck leave and stood there silently.

"Well…It's time for me to take off." I said and walked towards my car. I heard Bigby follow me from behind. I opened the trunk and dumped my bag in it. I closed the trunk and let Abby jump in the backseat.

"Stay." I sighed and turned to Bigby who gave me his big brown puppy eyes.

"Don't give me that look." I said while smiling. "You're gonna make me feel guilty." He huffed while smiling. Our eyes met and as if we both agreed without words we grabbed each other in a hug. His head was buried in my hair and his lips brushed over my shoulder. My head leaned against his shoulder. I had to hold in the tears that dared to run over my cheeks. "You'll be fine here. It's not like I'm leaving you alone. You have Colin and Snow." I don't know if I was trying to reassure him or myself. His grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me closer. I pulled back and in a moment of bravery I put one of my hands against his cheek, my fingers brushing his hair slightly. My other hand was on his shoulder to pull myself up. I kissed his scruffy cheek and lingered there for a few seconds.

"I'll miss you." I whispered to him.

"Same here." Bigby said as he slowly let go of me. "You'll come see us once in a while right?"

"I'll try." I gave him a sad smile before I turned around and opened the door and sat in the driver seat. I started the car and waved at Bigby before I started driving away.

"Don't look back." I said while biting my lip. The tears made my eyes sting. "Don't you dare look back." My voice was shaky. "Don't-" I stopped talking when my phone rang. I picked it up and answered the call.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, sis." Dean's voice was like a calming remedy to my aching heart. "How's the hunt?" He asked.

"It's over. I'm leaving now. Where are you guys?" I asked.

"We're in New York." He said and he sounded guilty.

"Did you guys follow me?!" I almost yelled.

"No! No, we didn't. We're at a diner right now. The Silver Diner. I think it's on your way out the city."

"Alright. I'll be there in a few." I said. I put down my phone and looked in the rear-view mirror. I was already a few streets away from the Woodlands…from Bigby. I sighed and calmed myself.

"It's for the best" I said. Suddenly Abby jumped to the passenger seat, ignoring my glare. I sighed and shifted uneasily in the driver seat. A whine came from next to me, taking my attention from the road. Abby looked at me with questioning eyes.

"I don't know, Abby. I just feel…It feels like I'm doing the right thing. But it feels wrong at the same time." I said but kept following the road. Soon we arrived at the diner. I entered with Abby close by.

"Lex!" I turned my head to look at Sam waving at me. I used my best fake smile and walked over to them.

"Where did the dog come from?" Bobby, my dad said. I shook my head and gave him a hug.

"Long story." I said before sitting down next to Sam.

"So how was the hunt?" Dad asked.

"Difficult. As always, I guess. The guy had some girls under a spell. Well the spell was on ribbons that he put around the girl's necks. If they didn't do what he said he pulls the ribbons off and their head fall with it." I said, avoiding telling them about Fables. Though I knew I could trust them with my life, I know them enough to know they will kill anything that isn't human.

"Wow, like a witch then? How did you manage to do it on your own?" Sam asked.

"I didn't." I said, my mind wend to the brown puppy eyed man that I helped. "There was this guy. A Sheriff. He was already on the case when I arrived. He let me work with him. He's kinda rough around the edges but a sweetheart when you get to know him. He called me princess and I called him pup." I laughed a little. I looked up and saw the three men give each other a look.

"What?" I said looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing." They said at the same time. I shrugged and decided to get my mind off of him.

I took the menu and looked at all the food. Honestly the food didn't really interest me. That feeling I had inside me, like my heart was aching. Was I getting sick or something? It feels like I have a damn heart attack. My mind took a turn from the heart attack to the puppy eyed wolf.

"Lexy!" My head snapped up from staring at the menu to Dean's concerned forest green eyes.

"Huh?" I said, half my mind still numb.

"I asked you what you wanted to eat." Dean said, giving me a weird look. I opened my mouth and blinked rapidly before looking down at the menu.

"Uuh, I'll, uh, just take some ice cream." I said. I looked up at them and saw Dean, Sam and Bobby exchange knowing glances.

"Go." Bobby said. I looked at him with a frown.

"Wha-"

"Just go. You're not supposed to be here, Lex. A hunter never becomes that happy but when you talk about that man you seem to get pretty damn close. So, go get him before it's too late." Bobby said. I stared at him wide eyed.

"I-I can't. His boss told me to leave." I stuttered.

"So what? Are you really going to let someone tell you what to do?" Dean said, grinning at me. I was silent for a second before I looked at them with a frown.

"I can't just leave you guys." I said, concerned that something would happen to my dad or my brothers.

"We can take care of ourselves, Lexy." Dean said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'll look out for these idjits. And we can always call you if we need some help." Bobby said.

"…We'll keep contact right? I think I would miss these dumbasses too much." I said while smirking. They all nodded and gave me a smile.

"What are you waiting for?" Sam said with a smirk. I stood and gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek before I went towards the exit, Abby following me closely.

"Oh and Lex?" I turned to look at Dean. "Give him a run for his money." He said. I grinned before walking out the dinner. I ran to my car and jumped in it, starting the car and racing out of there. Abby who was seated in the back now was yipping in joy. I guess she likes Bigby too. I drove the fastest I could without getting the police on my ass. I slammed my foot on the brakes when I rounded a corner. A huge traffic was in front of me.

"Hey!" The policeman who was standing not too far from me turned to look at me. "How long is this traffic going to take?" I asked.

"At least 3 hours, Miss. There's been an accident." He said while glaring at me. I glared right back before opening the door and stepping out of the car. I started running, ignoring the policeman's shouts for me to return to my car. I tried to dodge the people who were casually walking around. I ignored the cold rain that was soaking me. I stopped when I saw the gates of the Woodlands. My eyes widened when I saw Bigby ready to enter the gates

"Bigby!" I yelled and went to cross the street. However, my eyes widened when I saw two headlights coming my way. It felt like time stopped for a moment. I closed my eyes to wait for the painful impact. But suddenly a larger and muscled body slammed into me. I fell on the ground with the body hovering over me.

"Are you crazy?!" Bigby's voice roared in my ear. My eyes opened to look in concerned and angry brown eyes.

"Bigby." I whispered. He stood up and took my arms to pull me with him. I looked at the end of the street to see a truck rounding the corner, out of sight. Bigby shook me slightly to make me look at him.

"What the fuck were you thinking? You could've been dead-" He stopped talking when I hugged him. "Lexy-"

"Why… All I came here for was to hunt. And look at me now. I can't leave because of you." I said angrily while holding back tears. My hand formed into fists, clutching his shirt. "W-why did you have to do that? I feel like shit when I'm away from you. I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack! What the fuck is this?" I said and looked up at him. My eyes widened at the soft look he gave me. The arm that was around my shoulders moved away and his hand softly lied on my neck.

"Let me show you." He whispered huskily. Suddenly I was very aware how close we were and the arm around my waist pulling me closer. The warmth of his hand on the back of my neck. His hand made my head lean back slightly as he came closer. My breath became shallow when I felt his breath on my lips. My lips parted. My eyes drooped slightly and closed. His scent reached my nose, cigarettes and Bigby's own natural scent. Somewhere in my mind I was surprised that he didn't have the slightest smell of dog on him. My breath hitched and my hands placed themselves his cheeks. I softly let my thumb caress his stubbly wet cheeks. I didn't even notice that it was still raining until I felt Bigby's wet cheeks. His lips brushed mine softly as if he was asking permission. I guided him closer and we both shivered when our lips touched. Our lips moved in sync as we gasped for air. His lips were rough but also gentle against mine. I moaned when his tongue brushed against my lips, asking for entrance. I parted my lips and we battled in a gentle desire. My hands found themselves in his hair while he massaged my back and the back of my neck. But eventually we had to pull away. Damn the need to breath. My eyes were still closed as our foreheads leaned against each other.

"I understand now." I said and my eyes opened to find brown eyes watching me. His smile was contagious making me smile back.

"Come on. Let's get you out of this rain." Bigby said. He kept his arm around my waist as we walked towards the Woodland Apartment.

"Luckily I still have my key." I said while holding up the key. He chuckled and held me close. I stopped walking when I remembered my car and Abby. "Fuck! I forgot my car!"

"Huh?" Bigby looked confused when I started panicking.

"There was a traffic and I kinda…left my car there with Abby in it!" I turned around and went to get the car. "I'll be back in a few!" I started running.

"Wait!" Soon Bigby was running next to me. "We'll go together." He said and smiled at me. I smiled back before playfully pushing him. "Race ya!" I started sprinting with a laughing Bigby following me closely.

~A few days later~

I yawned as I stretched my legs, careful of not kicking Bigby. I turned my head and smiled at his peaceful face. I turned my body towards him and cuddled into his chest. We haven't really left my apartment for …3 or 4 days now. I don't have to tell you why. Bigby's soft snores made me smile every time I woke up. I softly let my fingertips drift up his arms and down his chest.

"If you want to leave this bed today you have to stop doing that." Bigby said, his eyes still closed but a smile edged on his lips.

"But it's fun." I said before chuckling together with Bigby. He opened his eyes and started to leave butterfly kisses on my neck. I laughed and squirmed in his grasp. "That tickles!" I squealed. He chuckled and stopped kissing my neck. Instead he passionately kissed my lips.

"We gotta get up." He said when he pulled back. Though he sounded irritated at his own words.

"I'll get us some breakfast." I said. I stood up from the bed and had to bite my neck when I felt Bigby's eyes on me. Though I was only in my lingerie it seemed no matter what I was wearing, Bigby's eyes followed me like a wolf, hungry for his prey. It took all of my strength not to dive back in the bed and kiss him like 3 days that passed. I showered and dressed myself, ready to get us some breakfast. I smiled at the sight of a sleeping Bigby when I came out of the bathroom. I kissed his cheek and whispered I was going out. He hummed and whispered something incoherently. I chuckled and went out the door. I took the elevator to go down. The elevator stopped to let someone else in. my eyes widened slightly when they met blue eyes.

"Lexy?" Snow White said, sounding surprised and angry. I huffed at myself for feeling panicked.

"Hello your grace." I said mockingly.

"I thought you left?" She said while crossing her arms.

"I did." I smirked and looked straight in her eyes. "I came back."

"I told you to leave." She said and held her hand to the doors when they started closing.

"Yes you did. And I didn't listen. Now that we've repeated the facts, will you let the elevator go down? I'd like to get some breakfast for me and my man." I said, still smirking.

"I want you to leave!" Snow snapped.

"Fine. Are you going to explain to Bigby why his girlfriend left?" Her eyes widened when I said this. "Because I'm not going to." She huffed and stepped in to the elevator. I saw her shuffle around nervously and sighed. "Listen, I'm staying here. I have as much a right to stay as you have." I glanced at her before looking back at the elevator doors. "I won't tell him you told me to leave." Snow stayed silent until she turned to me.

"Why?" She asked. The doors opened and I stepped out. I looked over my shoulder at her with a blank look.

"Because I understand." I said before leaving her to stand in the elevator in shock. I went to the bakery and got Bigby and me some breakfast. As soon as I was back in the apartment I was lifted off my feet by Bigby. I squealed and held onto his shoulders tightly. He put me back down and held me tightly against him.

"Welcome back." He whispered in my ear.

"I was only gone for a few minutes." I chuckled before kissing him softly. "Thank you." I said and turned to go to the kitchen. I jumped when Bigby softly slapped my behind. I tuned to him with a playful glare while he just gave me that wolfish grin. I huffed and started to make us some chocolate milk. I felt him come from behind me and put his arms around my waist.

"I love you, princess." He whispered in my ear. I smiled and turned to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I love you too, pup." I said softly before kissing his nose playfully. He growled and started to playfully bite at my neck.

"Am I interrupting something?" We looked down to see Colin looking at us with a smirk.

"Colin." Bigby groaned annoyed and put his head on my shoulder. While I let one of hands go through his hair I looked at Colin with a raised eyebrow.

"How did you get in?" I asked Colin with a smile.

"That's a well-kept secret." He said as he walked off with Abby following him.

"We have a strange family." I said. Bigby looked up and surprised by picking me up bridal style. I laughed and placed my head against his. Of course everything seems good now. But I know demons and monsters and Fables will make trouble for us. But they bets beware.

The huntress and the wolf will come for them.


End file.
